”Nuisance is Better Than Nothing?”: Exploring How Pedestrians and Cyclists Perceive Automated E-Scooter Alerts in Shared Spaces

Abstract

Electric scooters (e-scooters) offer flexible urban mobility but raise safety concerns in shared spaces. This study investigates how e-scooters can better communicate their presence to pedestrians and cyclists in shared active mobility environments. A focus group with e-scooter riders identified notifying others of arrival as a key challenge. To address this, we co-designed audio and visual alerts in a participatory workshop and evaluated them in a real-world Wizard of Oz (WoZ) study involving live encounters. WoZ self-report data showed that voice and bell alerts were rated significantly higher in visibility, safety, communication, and acceptance than continuous sounds and flashing lights. ..