Good day my good friend.

A bit of housekeeping today. Namely that if you would like to have a chat about Mobility Matters (actual Mobility Matters, not this newsletter), then over the coming weeks I will be out and about. Next Thursday (15th September), I will be at the SRITC Gathering to discuss rural transport in Boat of Garten, Scotland. On 29th September I will be at Mobility Camp in Bristol, of course. While on 6th October, I will be chairing a panel session at the Mobility as a Service in Europe conference in Amsterdam. So if you fancy a chat about all things mobility over a gin, Southville Hop, or Green Bullet, then email me! (Non-alcoholic drinks are also very much welcome).

If you have any suggestions for interesting news items or bits of research to include in this newsletter, you can email me.

For those of you coming to Mobility Camp in Bristol on 29th September, I will see you there. Tickets are sold out, but if you are still interested you can put your name on a reserve list. Or, sponsorship slots are still available.

James

People experience shared space differently. That’s not controversial.

Shared Space is…a divisive topic, particularly on social media. The late Ben Hamilton-Baille articulates the case for shared space better than anyone before or since. And I happen to feel that a major issue in the debate is that different people mean different things when it comes to shared space. But we often talk around what people actually experience in shared space environments. Luckily, the research adds much-need nuance.

What the latest evidence shows is that people navigate shared spaces differently according to age, and apparently the presence of a flowerpot. Meanwhile, pedestrians feel uneasy with a lot of cars around, and car drivers feel uneasy with a lot of pedestrians around. Needless to say that those with disabilities tend to not like them. But on whether they are safe on dangerous? Believe it or not, that is still open to question either way.

Paris gives us the best example of effective governance of micro-mobility

One thing on the new Transport Secretary’s to-do list is to finally sort out the issue of the regulation of e-scooters in the UK. With the previous Transport Secretary having kicked the can down the road a few times. This ties into an over-arching question of how to best govern micro-mobility. There are no shortages of ideas on how to do this. But there is only one example of it being done well, in my view.

Paris, quite simply, does it better than anywhere else. It mixes good engagement with operators with constructive challenge and clear requirements based on a strong public service ethos and strong public debate. Admittedly this is based on governance process and not on the actual numbers using micro-mobility. But it is a best practice to follow. Other places must take note.

Random things

These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope that you enjoy them.

• It Was War. Then, a Rancher’s Truce With Some Pesky Beavers Paid Off (New York Times)

• What’s Causing Black Flight? (The Atlantic)

• Eight reasons to be geopolitically hopeful (Asia Times)

• Why The Same Temperature Can Feel Different Somewhere Else (FiveThirtyEight)

• Indonesia raises fares for app-based motorbike transport after fuel price hike (Reuters)

Something interesting

Some time ago I asked a question about what is the most dangerous road in the world. It is often said the Karakoram Death Road in Bolivia is that. And this video shows why. Its…insane.

If you do nothing else today, then do this

The Welsh Government is consulting on its new Transport Appraisal Guidance. I’m not understating this, but this is potentially a game-changer for how we assess schemes. It is VERY good. Read it. Comment on it. Make it better.