Date: October 9, 2018
Time: 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm
Group Members Present: Annie, Jake
Location: Phone Interview
Courtney Falato is the smart cities relationship director the The Ohio State University. She is focused on facilitating Ohio State’s role as a lead research partner of the smart cities grant that was awarded to Columbus. This grant was $40 million, and its purpose was to reinvent mobility around/in Columbus.
Interview Notes:
- Courtney was very focused on scooter safety.
- She noticed there was a push towards finding an alternative mode of transportation when you get to campus.
- She noted that when the scooters were first introduced to campus, the city took a wait and see approach on how to regulate/legislate them.
- She noted there was a parking issue, as she saw a scooter parked in the middle of a parking garage ramp.
- Scooter Culture
- When they were first introduced, there was no culture yet.
- How long will this scooter culture last?
- She is worried there might be a drawback in the health of students. Less students will be getting their steps in while walking around campus.
- She had no personal experience riding the scooters, but she noticed there were a lot more men riding them than woman. Could this be due to balance, or the fact that woman carry more things? Is there a market for scooter accessories?
- Lime and Bird are pushing safety with introducing their own helmets for riding.
- Adaptability: what happens when the seasons change? What about inclement weather? We already spend so much time planning around travel.
- Disruptive technology:
- How will these scooters fare when another disruptive technology comes along?
- The scooters need to be flexible and movable in order to adapt to changing technology.
- How can we make sure we can flex this model when something else comes along?
- As more start-ups enter Columbus, technology will be changing rapidly.
Main Takeaways: Courtney was more focused on the social aspect of the scooters. She was thoughtful about the culture that these scooters have brought with them, and how this has affected the way they are being used. She was also concerned with what she coined “disruptive technology.” These scooters need to be “flexible and movable” in order to adapt to changing technology. How can these scooters be designed to flex with the changing technological landscape?