I don't know when exactly I fell in love with shared micromobility.

Maybe it was first learning that equity in bike share mattered to people and that many people were working hard to achieve it. Maybe it was feeling, for the first time, the passion people had for creating access to bike share as a public service. Maybe it was getting to know our first cohort of diverse Living Lab grantees — convening with them in Guadalajara during the 2022 NABSA conference and again in Chicago where we learned from local youth who were organizing for mobility justice. 

Maybe it was the many bike rides with new friends and colleagues in new cities, fumbling through unfamiliar docking stations and navigating friendly and unfriendly roads together. Or maybe it was seeing the way bike share attracts and embraces an incredible variety of smart, dynamic, empathetic, resourceful, and fun people.

Maybe it was pausing to realize that I was working in partnership with and surrounded by other people like me — people who are interested in improving cities so that everyone can thrive, and doing that work with bikes and scooters as our tools.

Bottom line: I fell in love with all of it. And I know that the work of BBSP over the last 12 years has meant so much to so many people. Looking back on my 5+ years in shared micromobility, I am sometimes overcome with emotion — thinking about the relationships I have because of shared bikes and scooters. And how I ended up being part of something far more meaningful and bold than I could have ever imagined. Shared micromobility is so much more than docks, vehicles, and metrics. It’s people and culture.

Before BBSP, I was absolutely an advocate for bike share and I rode bike share in every city I visited. But I didn't know the extent to which bike share was having a positive impact on the lives of people of color, low-income people, and people who need more transportation options. I also didn't know there were so many people devoting their time to ensuring everyone could access and afford to ride shared bikes and scooters. It became obvious pretty quickly that shared micromobility is a unique and beautiful space. 

There is power in shared micromobility. Power in the number of people choosing shared bikes and scooters over cars. 225 million trips were taken in North America using shared bikes and scooters in 2024. Each trip represents a choice to effectively reduce carbon footprint, reduce toxic emissions, and connect more intimately with the environment and people around us. There is power in shared micromobility because it is a versatile, reliable, sustainable mode of transportation. I have had the pleasure of witnessing the ways that shared micromobility builds community and helps people see that getting around without a personal car is possible.

For me, shared micromobility has been a place where my worlds of social and environmental justice and urban planning come together. It has also meant camaraderie, joy, spaces where I get to show up as myself, and connections to other community-focused, social justice people. People who know that shared bikes and scooters are tools for enhancing connectivity, resilience, happiness, and health.

My love of shared micromobility comes not only from my many positive experiences being a part of this family, but is in large part due to the impact that BBSP has had on communities across North America. It is hard to capture everything BBSP has meant to everyone, but this is my letter to shared micromobility, the people in this field, and why BBSP matters.

When we launched in 2014, very few — if any — shared micromobility systems offered equity programs such as discounted memberships or community engagement programs aimed at breaking down barriers for communities of color. Fast forward a decade and 92% of shared micromobility systems offer discount programs, with many more having equity offerings beyond discount programs — smartphone alternatives, cash payments, targeted outreach, and equitable vehicle distribution.

The Better Bike Share Partnership helped make equity programs the norm through grants, technical assistance, and peer learning opportunities. We awarded $2.6 million in support of hands-on outreach, education, and the equitable design and implementation of shared bike and scooter programs in communities of color. 

In addition to helping the industry widely adopt and implement equity programs, BBSP has helped others replicate successful equity work being done. This is due in part to our robust storytelling efforts. Since BBSP began, our writers have published more than 500 stories dedicated to uplifting the people and programs credited with advancing equity in shared micromobility. As a result, programs across the country have replicated a lot of great work.

"We have read stories about adaptive programs, connections between transit and bikeshare, low-income programs, partnering with local governments, and employee benefits incentives, among many others. As a small non-profit, it would be so much harder for us to find the time to research these initiatives if not for the tireless reporting done at BBSP." - Survey Respondent

"BBSP has had an outsized influence on our organization goals. We use guidance and best practices directly from BBSP to help guide station siting, pricing, and communications strategies." — Survey Respondent 

While our storytelling widely distributed ideas and best practices, other BBSP program areas directly put more people of all ages and backgrounds on shared bikes and scooters. The people we fund through our two grant programs implement innovative and creative social impact programs focused on education and outreach in partnership with communities of color and socially vulnerable communities. In a single 6-month grant period in 2025, eight mini-grantees taught more than 100 new people how to use their local shared micromobility system.

In my time at BBSP, we awarded 79 mini grants and nine Living Lab grants. Since BBSP's inception in 2014, we have awarded 125 total grants. We can safely say that in just the last handful of years, BBSP successfully increased ridership in communities of color nationwide by the thousands.

Here’s a sample of what we’ve heard from people who participated in programs carried out by our mini grantees:

"The equity membership program allowed me to ride for fitness and mental health purposes without having to worry about the cost and not being able to afford it after losing my job. I am very grateful and appreciative for the wonderful people at This Machine as well as the donors and sponsors of this program for your generosity, compassion and kindness." — Event Participant, Tulsa, Oklahoma

"It is a vital means of transportation, physical and mental fitness. If I did not have access to Bublr bikes, I honestly would've moved away." — Bublr Access Pass user, Milwaukee

In 2021, I helped launch BBSP's first cohort of Living Lab grantees. Through our Living Labs we:

Broke down barriers to accessing and riding bike share for communities of color.

Increased capacity for community-based organizations, nonprofits, and local government–run bike share systems to engage more deeply in underserved communities — capacity increases that resulted in neighborhood-wide engagement campaigns, riders of all ages, plus new and sometimes unexpected partnerships that are still strong today.

Witnessed significant professional and personal growth of bike share staff and Living Lab project managers as a result of being part of the cohort and having the opportunity to showcase their work on the national stage.

Write and publish 16 best practice guides for breaking down barriers to bike share in communities of color.

Increase racial diversity at national conferences such as NABSA and NACTO by directly funding participation and speaking opportunities.

Contribute to critical resources such as NABSA's Workforce Diversity Toolkit.

Contribute more than $100,000 to increase equity and inclusion content at national NABSA and NACTO conferences.

BBSP’s Shared Micromobility Roundtable and the Transportation Justice Fellowship made it possible for shared micromobility and transportation professionals to come together regularly as thought partners working to advance equity in transportation. We graduated 43 fellows and hosted 14 national Shared Micromobility Roundtables. 

Whether virtual or in-person, our roundtables made it possible for transportation professionals to meet with peers across North America and discuss emerging best practices, lessons learned, and ongoing challenges. Participants were rewarded with healthy doses of motivation and reminders of why our work is important and why we stick with it. 

Our Transportation Justice Fellowship successfully grew the skills, knowledge, and confidence of people of color in the transportation field, guiding them to develop the tools to stay in this field and to grow in their positions and double down on their mobility justice approach to planning.

Our programming and the work of our grantees clearly had positive impacts on the lives of people who use shared bikes and scooters in communities across the country. Our work also had positive impacts on city staff, operators, providers, people designing and implementing programs, community advocates, ambassadors, and activists.

We truly cultivated a family with our grantees and other partners. It has been an honor to design and host gatherings and implement programs that so intimately touch people's lives and livelihoods.

People come to BBSP as a source for ideas and best practices, and they stay connected because of the camaraderie, the inclusiveness, and for the rooms that we open — where they can be themselves and bring up the issues impacting their communities.

I have had the tremendous honor of helping grow and be a part of this social fabric for almost six years. It's exciting to think about where shared micromobility will be in another 6 years. Although BBSP as we know it is coming to an end, I am confident that the programs we have funded, our many partners, fellows, and grantees will continue shaping equitable transportation — and will have an even bigger stage down the road.

A heartfelt thank you to PeopleForBikes, the Indego Bike Share team in Philadelphia, NACTO, and NABSA for bringing me along for the ride. And to my colleagues and friends in cities across North America, you inspire me and you allowed me to learn and grow with you in the process. Thank you.

Ride on friends! And please stay in touch! 

I will be in my current role at PeopleForBikes until the end of July after which point my plans remain open. Let’s work together!

CicLAvia in Los Angeles highlights the potential of Open Streets to create people-centered corridors.

When the 2026 World Cup arrives in the United States, host cities will face a familiar problem at an unfamiliar scale: how to move hundreds of thousands of people to and from matches without grinding to a halt. More lanes for cars won’t solve it. They never do.

What will help? A fast, visible multimodal transportation network that lets people move efficiently over short distances — by bike, on foot, and via transit. Thankfully, cities don’t need years or billion-dollar projects to make this happen. Even with the World Cup just weeks away, cities can use smart planning and quick-build tools to quickly deliver game-ready bike networks.

From Los Angeles to Atlanta to Boston, U.S. host cities have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to move millions of fans more efficiently. While matches will be played in a handful of official host cities, surrounding communities — like Newark, Pasadena, and Fort Lauderdale — will also absorb a surge of visitors and need to plan accordingly.

Start with the trips people will actually take between hotels, transit hubs, fan zones, and stadiums. Map those connections first and focus on continuity over perfection. To help visitors understand the network, cities should publish a simple, highly visible “Bike to the Match” network map that links stadiums and official fan zones, hotels and visitor districts, major transit stations, and key neighborhood corridors. The goal is to create a clear, connected network that works on day one.

The network shouldn’t stop at city limits. Hotels, short-term rentals, and fan activity will spread across metro regions, putting pressure on smaller cities and towns that may be less prepared. Building connected bike networks across jurisdictions can help distribute demand and reduce congestion everywhere.

While not everyone will choose to ride a bike, multimodal improvements like a cohesive bike network will help reduce traffic congestion for those who still choose to drive. 

Bonus: These same improvements reflect the kind of low-stress, connected bike networks that drive stronger City Ratings scores.

Use Open Streets to Create Instant Capacity and Turn Streets Into Fan Zones

The most successful World Cup host cities won’t just move crowds, they’ll turn streets into part of the experience.

One of the fastest ways to expand capacity is to open key streets to people walking and biking. Open Streets programs like CicLAvia regularly draw tens of thousands into people-centered corridors. For the World Cup, cities can use the same playbook on match days and high-traffic weekends to create safe, high-capacity routes to stadiums and fan zones. To do so, cities should focus on priority corridors, temporarily closing them to through traffic while allowing biking, walking, and limited local access, as well as staffing them with clear wayfinding and traffic management.

These corridors can also function as linear fan zones that bring the city to life with vendors and local businesses, music and live programming, watch parties, and sponsor activations.

Fans arrive together — by bike, on foot, or via transit — already immersed in the atmosphere instead of stuck in traffic. Businesses along the route see increased foot traffic, and cities gain a flexible, low-cost way to manage crowds. When done right, Open Streets don’t just solve congestion, they turn mobility into a signature part of the World Cup experience.

Not every street can be fully opened to people walking and biking. That’s where quick-build infrastructure comes in. Using paint, posts, and temporary barriers, cities can install protected bike lanes in a matter of weeks. Cities should focus on connecting Open Streets corridors to one another, linking neighborhoods to the main network, and creating safe access to transit hubs.

Cities can also treat these routes as real-world pilot projects — tracking ridership, safety, and usage to identify which corridors should become permanent improvements after the World Cup.

Make It Comfortable for First-Time Riders

World Cup visitors won’t be transportation experts. Many will be navigating a new city for the first time. That makes comfort and clarity essential:

Separate bike space from vehicular traffic wherever possible. 

Simplify intersections with clear markings.

Use bold, consistent wayfinding so routes are easy to follow.

If it feels safe and intuitive, people will use it. If it feels confusing or dangerous, they won’t.

Cities need to meet the demand that will come from an influx of visitors who do not have their own bikes with them. That means quickly scaling up bike share systems by adding more bikes; installing temporary docking stations near stadiums, transit hubs, hotel hubs, and fan zones; and promoting simple, short-term passes for visitors.

Hotels and event organizers can help promote access, making bike share the easiest option for short trips.

Even the best network fails without a secure place to park. Host cities should treat bike parking as essential infrastructure with large, staffed bike valet areas at stadiums, temporary racks at fan zones and along major routes, and clear signage so people know where to go. When bike parking is easy and secure, more people choose to ride, whether they’re heading to a stadium, stopping at the grocery store, or visiting a local park.

As more Americans use e-bikes, cargo bikes, and shared micromobility options, cities must also consider bike parking that works for a wide range of riders and devices, including visible racks outside of neighborhood businesses, bike corrals that replace a single car parking space, secure bike rooms at apartment buildings, and longer-term weather-protected parking near transit stations and downtown job centers.

Biking works best when it’s an integrated part of a larger system. Open Streets and bike routes should feed directly into transit stations, making it easy to combine transportation modes. This approach expands the reach of transit and reduces pressure on any single system.

The most important decision cities can make is to treat these changes as more than temporary. Quick-build lanes can become permanent. Open Streets corridors can evolve into recurring programs that help community members come together and experience the joy of riding a bike. Bike share expansions can serve residents long after the final match. While the World Cup is a deadline, it’s also an opportunity to accelerate projects that cities already need.

The cities that get this right will show the rest of the country what’s possible when streets are designed for people, with the opportunity to leave behind something even more valuable than a successful global event: a multimodal transportation system that serves residents and visitors for years to come.

The 2026 World Cup is a rare chance to transform mobility in cities nationwide. PeopleForBikes is here to help get it right. We can provide the resources to turn temporary, game day infrastructure into permanent, world-class networks. Don't let the momentum stop at the final match. Contact PeopleForBikes at info@peopleforbikes.org to learn how we can support your city’s journey toward a safer, more connected future.

How World Cup Host Cities Can Move Millions By Bike

Last week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870), a bipartisan proposal to reauthorize federal transportation funding programs for five years. The 1,005-page bill includes major investments in roads, bridges, transit, and bicycle infrastructure.

The legislation would directly impact federal funding for bike lanes, trails, greenways, and transportation safety programs across the country. PeopleForBikes and our partners spent the past year advocating to preserve and strengthen key bicycle infrastructure and safety programs included in the bill. Learn more about PeopleForBikes efforts to shape the bill here.

The last surface transportation reauthorization bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, included big wins for bicycling thanks to the work of PeopleForBikes and our partners.

Federal transportation policy shapes how communities fund bike lanes, trails, connected active transportation networks, and roadway safety improvements. The next transportation bill will influence billions of dollars in future investment — affecting riders and local communities for years to come. Federal investment in bike infrastructure also plays a significant role in expanding ridership, improving access, and supporting long-term growth for the U.S. bicycle industry.

Key Bike Infrastructure and Safety Provisions in the BUILD America 250 Act

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)

What it is: TAP is the nation’s largest dedicated federal funding source for bike lanes, trails, sidewalks, and active transportation infrastructure.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act reauthorizes TAP at an average of $1.6 billion annually, a modest increase over current funding levels. However, the bill also makes it easier for states to transfer TAP funding away from bike and pedestrian projects.

Why it matters: TAP is one of the most important federal programs supporting local bike infrastructure projects nationwide. Changes to the program could directly impact future investment in connected bike networks and safer streets.

PeopleForBikes’ position: Preserving and increasing TAP funding is a top PeopleForBikes priority. We support the funding increase but remain concerned about provisions that could weaken long-term protections for bike infrastructure funding.

What it is: The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program funds local transportation safety planning and infrastructure projects aimed at reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries.

What changed: The bill reauthorizes the program at $3.75 billion over five years, slightly below IIJA funding levels. It also shifts the program towards implementation projects and lowers local cost-share burdens for communities.

Why it matters: SS4A has become one of the most important federal funding sources for bike safety improvements and Vision Zero initiatives across the country.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes strongly supports continued funding for SS4A alongside efforts to make the program more accessible for local communities building safer bike infrastructure.

What it is: RTP funds the development and maintenance of trails, greenways, and off-road active transportation infrastructure.

What changed: The bill reauthorizes RTP at $84 million annually and includes language clarifying that electric bicycles are allowed on non-motorized RTP-funded trails.

Why it matters: RTP supports access to trails and outdoor recreation nationwide, while the e-bike clarification provides additional certainty for riders and land managers.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports RTP reauthorization and advocated for the inclusion of e-bike access language in the bill.

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

What it is: HSIP is the federal government’s core transportation safety funding program.

What changed: The bill increases HSIP funding and retains IIJA requirements directing high-risk states to invest more resources into vulnerable road user safety.

Why it matters: HSIP funding helps communities address dangerous road conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports maintaining strong vulnerable road user safety requirements within HSIP.

Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act

What it is: This legislation aims to reduce barriers that prevent communities from building connected bike networks and safer active transportation infrastructure. Learn more here.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act includes provisions that improve eligibility for connected bike networks and reduce financial barriers for local governments using TAP funding.

Why it matters: These changes could help communities deliver larger, more connected bike infrastructure projects.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports these provisions as an important step toward accelerating investment in connected bike infrastructure.

What it is: The BIKE Act expands eligibility for bicycle safety education and training within federal traffic safety funding programs.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act adds bicycle training and education as an eligible use of federal behavioral safety funding through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Why it matters: This change could increase support for bicycle safety education programs nationwide.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports expanding federal support for bicycle education and rider safety initiatives.

Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP)

What it is: ATIIP is a federal grant program that funds connected active transportation networks.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act repeals the program.

Why it matters: ATIIP was designed to help communities build large-scale connected bike and trail networks. Eliminating the program could slow future investment in transformative active transportation projects.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes views the repeal of ATIIP as a significant setback for connected bike infrastructure and active transportation investment across the U.S.

Surface Transportation Accelerator Grant Program (STAG)

What it is: STAG is a new discretionary grant program supporting transportation projects in rural, urban, local, and regional communities.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act creates this new program with broad transportation project eligibility. 

Why it matters: Because the program is highly competitive and broadly defined, bicycle infrastructure projects may struggle to compete for funding.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports strong eligibility for bike infrastructure projects within discretionary transportation funding programs, including dedicated funding programs for bicycle infrastructure.

What it is: The bill includes a federal study focused on micromobility safety and children.

What changed: The legislation excludes additional language supported by PeopleForBikes related to the safety risks posed by high-speed e-moto devices.

Why it matters: Federal research could shape future micromobility safety policy and product regulation.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports stronger federal attention to e-moto safety concerns and continues to advocate for clearer distinctions between low-speed e-bikes and high-speed motorized devices.

What it is: The Safe Routes to School movement supports safer walking and biking access for students traveling to school in communities nationwide.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act does not include the Kids on the Go Act, which would encourage states to employ Safe Routes to School coordinators.

Why it matters: Safe Routes to School programs improve student safety and increase active transportation options for families.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports stronger federal support for Safe Routes to School programs and local coordination efforts.

What the BUILD America 250 Act Means for Bikes, Trails, and U.S. Transportation Funding

North Omaha is the heart of Omaha, Nebraska’s Black community. It’s home to artists and activists and rich in culture and history. North Omaha is the birthplace of Malcolm X, home to three-weight world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford, and where jazz icons like Duke Ellington performed in the historic Dreamland Ballroom.

Like countless Black communities across the country, North Omaha has experienced generations of disinvestment, including being deliberately cut off from the rest of the city and denied basic public infrastructure and other services. Positively, residents in North Omaha are making strides toward a more connected and healthy neighborhood with projects like the North Omaha Trail, which aims to reconnect the neighborhood and increase public health infrastructure, guided by the communities along the route.

I became interested in sharing this as an Omaha native. Although I grew up in West Omaha,  I had the opportunity to bike on the trail in 2022 during the Juneteenth Joy Ride as part of the annual Juneteenth JoyFest, a Black Arts and Cultural Festival founded by Alajia McKizia in 2021.

Manuel Cook, a North Omaha resident, returned to Omaha after studying in the Netherlands in 2017 and wanted to bike around the city as he had gotten used to overseas. Upon returning, he took a job as a planner for the City of Omaha Planning Department, working with Neighborhood Action and Fact on a North Omaha neighborhood revitalization plan. While searching for different routes to get downtown, he stumbled on the route that is now the North Omaha Trail. He found that other folks in the neighborhood were using it as well to cross the Pratt Street Bridge over Highway 75, which divided and displaced the community in the 80s.

“The idea that came up was having a linear park. That's how we got some initial funds to clean up the area, and then through that, worked with Papio NRD and the National Park Service to put together the concepts for the North Omaha Trail,” says Cook. “That's where it really originated, it was that work with the community.”

This set in motion planning and fundraising for the trail in 2018. It was during this same period that Heartland Bike Share, Omaha’s bike share system operated by nonprofit ROAM Share, introduced electric bikes into its system. Cook partnered with Heartland Bike Share to organize a ride, with the first e-bike ride taking place on what would become the North Omaha Trail. 

Supporters of the trail project have always seen bike share as a natural fit, and the final build-out of the trail project will include Heartland Bike Share stations.

“Often, I learn about a project, and then I force myself in. I have to justify why it makes sense to put bike share,” says Benny Foltz, CEO of ROAM Share, which operates Heartland Bike Share. “But this [project] was very holistic, exciting, and everyone understood. We got no resistance. Bike share was just expected to be on the trail, as bike share should be.”

ROAM Share launched in 2011 with Heartland Bike Share and added Bike LNK in 2018 and Valentine Bike Share in 2020. Equity has always been a priority across the cities they serve in their operations, programming, and community engagement. Heartland Bike Share, specifically, has a Library Pass Program — where bike share passes can be checked out for free at Omaha’s 13 libraries, the Council Bluffs Public Library in Iowa, and the Sump Memorial Library in Papillion. They also offer a Reduced Cost Membership Program across all of their locations, providing $5 annual memberships to financially vulnerable residents, and host a free community rides series called We on Wheels (W.o.W). 

In 2024, Foltz worked to introduce the first bike share-specific state bill in the US — LB 1250. The goal of the bill is to create a grant program of up to $250,000 within the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for nonprofit organizations that operate bike share programs. While no action has been taken on the bill yet, it sets an important precedent in the push to ensure dedicated funding for bike share, which is a form of public transportation. The strategies that Foltz has used over the years to gain support for bike share (including taking elected officials on bike rides using bike share) can be added to the list of best practices. In a place that is not particularly bike friendly, where bicycling is often not a priority issue, Foltz has successfully turned unlikely groups of people on to bike share.

Eventually, Cook left the city to work at Spark CDI, a nonprofit community development organization in North Omaha, where he continued the trail project. He led community engagement and wrote the North Omaha Trail community design guide. He then led the design team through construction, leading public art and placemaking efforts for Phase 1. Heartland Bike Share was just one of the many partners Spark engaged with. Spark connected with residents and organizations in the neighborhood to design and vote on the trail project logo, and to have their input in the planning of the trail build-out with a community advisory board. Spark receives comments about what's happening in the community and gathers information about what they know the city is going to do, which they can then communicate to the board. The board, in turn, communicates it back to the community. A separate technical community of experts shares with Spark what they should focus on, review, or consider.

Construction for Phase 1 started in February/March of 2022, with the ribbon cutting on October 22, 2022. Some of the partners during Phase 1 included Keep Omaha Beautiful, who planted trees along the route during the ribbon cutting; artists, including Gerard Pefung, pictured below, on a mural project; and Bike Walk Nebraska, which hosts ride classes. Using data from Strava, a fitness tracking app, Spark was able to gauge trail usage.

“From a recreational standpoint, the number of people that were crossing the Pratt Street Bridge before the trail versus after, it was like an 800 or 1,000% increase,” says Ryan ZimmerMas, senior project manager at Spark. “It was something crazy like that. It’s really opened up that bridge to more users. Put it on the map, literally.”

In 2024, Spark was awarded $8 million from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to begin work on Phase 2 of the trail. Cook believes more commuters will use the trail with the completion of Phase 2, which will include a solid connection all the way into downtown and to Omaha’s RiverFront. In Phase 2, Spark will be able to install the encasement areas for the Heartland Bike Share docks.

Spark was hopeful that Phases 3 and 4, which would have included the installation of seven bike share stations, would be funded through an Environmental Protection Agency Community Change Grant, but a few months after submitting the grant application, the program was essentially nonexistent. Although this particular grant did not work out, Spark formed lasting partnerships as a result of the grant application process. ZimmerMas says the most impactful piece from this experience was getting the buy-in from the city, other institutional partners, and local grassroots partners, which was emphasized in the grant. Partners on the application included Spark Capital, City of Omaha, Keep Omaha Beautiful, Culxr House, Bike Walk Nebraska, Douglas County Health Department, One Omaha, Seventy-Five North Revitalization Corp., and ROAM Share.

Spark was able to fundraise to complete an initial 10% feasibility study for phases 3 and 4. Now they have a clearer picture of what these future phases will look like and cost, and will continue to fundraise for implementation.

Deisy Cole, current project manager for the North Omaha Trail at Spark, is working with the technical experts to strategize what the trail would look like if Phases 3 and 4 are broken up as smaller amounts of funding become available, and works with those partners to help them identify other funding sources to be able to move their pieces forward as well.

The trail is set to break ground on Phase 2 this April, with expected completion in 2027.

The vision of the North Omaha Trail encapsulates the uniqueness of this Black community in the Midwest — sparking community engagement, multimodal transportation, and environmental justice. 

"This trail offers an exciting — and visible — opportunity to encourage walking, cycling, and just plain old exercise,” says Omaha Mayor John W. Ewing Jr., a native North Omahan. “More than that, it offers a connection between North Omaha and the City, which should not be mutually exclusive places but instead part of the larger fabric that is One Omaha. I’m so excited to see this trail, and I’m excited to support cyclists and others who will use it.”

North Omaha Trail Connects Communities and Centers Its Culture

For the second year in a row, sustainability sponsors at PeopleForBikes’ Bicycle Leadership Conference will support local biking efforts in the city of Tucson. This year, BOSCH, Ortlieb, the Outdoor Industry Association, and Zwift are providing funding to a successful bike program led by FUGA — Familias Unidades Ganar Accesibilidad (aka Families United Gaining Access). FUGA has partnered with local operator TUGO Bike Share since 2018 on programming that centers the bicycle as a tool to connect and lift the voices of historically underserved communities across Tucson.

FUGA organizes around, advocates for, and mobilizes on issues that are important to the south and west sides of Tucson including housing, transportation, education, access to libraries and public services, and community connection. The monthly “Bicicleteada del Sur” and “Bici + Burro” rides help draw attention to the accessibility and infrastructure issues these communities face while celebrating the joys and utilitarian aspects of bicycling.

“FUGA has been able to engage multigenerational families on accessible free bike rides in their barrios, while using and highlighting bike infrastructure but also drawing direct attention to the historical inequities in connectivity.” says Vanessa Gallego, chief operating officer at Recyco, Inc. and project manager at FUGA.

Sponsorship dollars from the 2025 BLC will support FUGA’s two standard volunteer-led monthly rides with ride leaders and trained safeties who protect riders on the road. FUGA’s goal is to build community in a welcoming, safe space. They do this by incorporating a safety vehicle to act as a buffer between traffic and riders and provide aid if needed. They also distribute free bike lights, high visibility vests, water, snacks, and food. The rides have historically taken place with FUGA providing what they can without much financial support. The funding from our 2025 BLC sustainability sponsors will help make sustained investments in these monthly rides possible, including patch kits, helmets, and cooling measures for the upcoming rides during the hottest times of the year.


Born and raised in Tucson, Gallego knows the heat very well. “It is the last mile that can mean life or death in our desert city. As our community works towards a resilient Tucson, we know that means accessible mobility.”

Advancing Resilience and Access to Biking in Tucson

Last month, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) released its 2023 Shared Micromobility Report, breaking down station-based bike share and dockless e-scooter and e-bike ridership in North America in 2023 while offering recommendations on how cities can plan for the long-term viability of their systems.


Surpassing the previous record set in 2019, more people took shared micromobility trips in 2023 than in any other year.


At 157 million, total shared micromobility (SMM) trips increased by 20% over 2022, far surpassing the 2019 peak of 147 million trips. In Canada, SMM trips increased by an impressive 40% with 24 million trips in 2023. In the U.S., 133 million trips were taken last year — up 16% from 2022.

Station-based bike usage continues to increase, driven by the growing popularity of e-bikes.

The U.S. saw a total of 61 million station-based bike share trips in 2023, up from 53 million in 2022. Station-based trips taken by electric bicycle (e-bike) increased from 20 million trips in 2022 to 28 million trips in 2023, a substantial 40% growth. E-bike trips represented 46% of all station-based bike share trips. 

Canada saw a total of 20 million trips on station-based bikes in 2023, compared to 15 million in 2022. Differing from the U.S., this growth was largely due to station-based traditional (non-electric) bike rides. Canadians took 15 million trips on traditional bikes in 2023, increasing by nearly 40% from 2022.

Prices are rising, making shared micromobility more expensive compared to other public transit options, highlighting the need for accessible pricing models for every rider.

Shared micromobility riders often bear the brunt of paying sales tax on their trip, unlike other forms of public transportation. While income-based discounts offer substantial savings to those living below the federal poverty level, with the cost of living increasing for all, shared micromobility is moving further and further out of reach for working and middle class families.

Thankfully, the popularity of more-affordable annual or monthly pass options has significantly increased in recent years. Since 2019, annual pass sales have increased by 20% or more in places like Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Toronto. 


Infrastructure that supports safe bike and scooter share riding leads to increased ridership. 

It’s proven through research and practice that the build-out of connected and safe bike infrastructure motivates people to ride more. Cities that invest in safe bike infrastructure see the greatest increase in shared micromobility ridership year after year. 


A study conducted in Hamilton, Ontario, showed that increases in bicycling were greatest on concrete-barrier-protected bike lanes and other protected infrastructure on arterial streets well connected to other protected biking routes.

Public funding is vital for keeping shared micromobility programs sustainable.

The existence of shared micromobility programs continues to be threatened by financial instability. Public funding, foundation support, and longer-term sponsorships are necessary for sustainable systems. 

In the last few years, systems across the country (including Nice Ride in Minneapolis, Houston BCycle, RedBike in Cincinnati, and This Machine in Tulsa) have shut down because of a lack of sustainable funding. With these closures, it’s becoming abundantly clear that shared micromobility systems require dedicated public investment to provide stable, reliable service. 


When bike share systems first launched, few places considered it to be a form of public transportation. Cities often relied on outside operators to fund these mobility options. Now, 15 years after the first bike share system opened in North America, shared micromobility is no longer an experiment — it's a proven and vital piece of many cities' transportation systems. Unfortunately, funding is still unstable in many places. 

Shared micromobility is an essential transportation service. The Better Bike Share Partnership is taking this opportunity to highlight success stories and advocate for more support of bike and scooter share systems through increased public investment, the construction of safe and connected infrastructure, the creation of sustainable partnerships with system sponsors, and setting clear plans for long-term growth.


Last year, David Zipper highlighted the issue of expecting bike share to operate without subsidy in an article published in Fast Company. The North American Bike and Scooter Share Association has hosted webinars and industry conversations (which can be found here, here, and here) on the role local, state, and federal governments should play in funding shared micromobility. Now, we have NACTO’s 2023 report reinforcing these conversations by calling out that “it is more important than ever to secure sustainable funding models for shared micromobility programs.”


As ridership and popularity of shared micromobility only continues to grow, we must capitalize opportunities to stabilize bike and scooter share systems through sustained public investment and work with cities to safeguard the future of their shared micromobility systems. 


You can access NACTO’s full 2023 report here.


The Better Bike Share Partnership is funded by The JPB Foundation as a collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), and  PeopleForBikes to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

NACTO’s 2023 Shared Micromobility Report Highlights Need for Partnerships and Public Investment

As someone new to the shared micromobility (SMM) space, spending this past year as BBSP’s writer was both encouraging and inspiring. I discovered an industry that is far more vibrant and intersectional than I realized going into this position. What began as an exploration of bike share systems unfolded into understanding how SMM brings people from all walks of life together to build better, more equitable communities.


One of the most surprising aspects of SMM is its broad appeal across different professions. It’s not just urban planners who are shaping this space — there are public health professionals, tech innovators, activists, entrepreneurs, mechanics, and nonprofit leaders all contributing in their own unique ways. 

Additionally, I learned how SMM systems are intertwined with infrastructure development. A well-designed SMM network relies on bike lanes, docking stations, and safe streets — all of which require thoughtful urban planning, investment, and intentional community engagement. These improvements create safer and more livable cities for everyone. 

Looking ahead, I’m eager to continue telling the evolving stories of SMM. Solar-powered charging stations, adaptive fleets, and cargo bike options are becoming more and more relevant. I’m particularly excited to see the impact of the free Pacers Bikeshare program in Marion County in Greater Indianapolis after its first full year. Similarly, regional systems like those emerging in the Sonoma and Marin County region, Western New York, and Greater Boston have the potential to reshape their transit ecosystems in meaningful ways.


Transportation Justice Fellowship: Our newest cohort is well underway with fellows engaged in skills-building sessions and one-on-one coaching. Fellows are supported by both BBSP staff and Robin Wright-Pierce and Nelson Pierce, Jr. from Transforming Change. Stay tuned for upcoming BBSP stories as we feature fellows each month leading up to the NACTO Designing Cities Conference where they will have a role in facilitating BBSP’s annual Shared Micromobility Roundtable.

Living Labs: The LA Living Lab Coalition, POGOH Bike Share, Tugo Bike Share, and Indego Bike Share are entering their first full year as Living Lab cities. With monthly cohort calls, the Living Labs serve as a space for cities across the country to connect and learn from each other. Each group is addressing barriers to accessing and using SMM in low-income communities and communities of color in their cities. As they test strategies for increasing participation, we look forward to learning from their work and reporting on their lessons learned.

Mini-Grants: Encouraged by the success of the 2024 awardees, we are thrilled to open our next round of mini-grants next month. Nonprofit community-based organizations, cities, and SMM operators are all encouraged to submit a proposal for grants ranging from $2,500-$10,000. Applications will open in mid-February — stay tuned!

As we kick off 2025, we have the opportunity to reflect on how far SMM has come and imagine what’s next, both for the industry and for BBSP. The potential for SMM to serve and engage diverse communities, connect with other public transit options, and lower transportation-related emissions is enormous. I look forward to telling these stories in the year ahead.

The Better Bike Share Partnership is funded by The JPB Foundation as a collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), and the PeopleForBikes Foundation to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or sign up for our weekly newsletter. Have a question or a story idea? Email odochi@peopleforbikes.org

Reflections on Shared Micromobility and the Road Ahead

If you’ve ever attended a town hall meeting to support a proposed bike lane or trail, or simply engaged in a lively discussion about one on Nextdoor, you know it can often be a pretty frustrating process. These days, when discussing anything that involves growth or change, there’s almost always a small, vocal contingent that relies on emotion to argue why something shouldn’t happen. You might know a new bike lane — or another proposed project, like a housing bill that indirectly affects bicycling — would be a good thing for your community, but without data or research to back up your argument, speaking up can feel like a lost cause. 

That’s where our new guide comes in. At PeopleForBikes, we spend our days firmly entrenched in the research and data that supports building better communities for bicycling. We developed this 15-point fact sheet to help counteract misconceptions that often arise when advocating for change, as well as to promote strategies we know work. Bookmark it, print it out, and email it to everyone you know — let this article support you in shifting the larger conversation around the power of bicycling.

This might feel like a given, but if Utah Senator Mitt Romney’s recent remarks are any indication, we’re not all on the same page about the climate benefits of getting more people on bikes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), transportation makes up 28% of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, with 57% of those emissions coming from passenger vehicles. When we build more (and better) bike lanes, the environmental benefits are clear: higher bike ridership, less driving, and an overall reduction in emissions.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon found that “if even 10% of short car trips during peak afternoon travel were replaced with micromobility, more than 4,800 car trips would not happen, decreasing vehicle miles traveled by more than 7,300 miles a day.” While this would translate to a 2.76% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, it would only be possible with “wide-scale bike lane deployment.” This study confirms similar findings from McGill University that spotlight bike infrastructure in Montreal, as well as research from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, which found new bike lanes lowered emissions in Guangzhou, China, and Bogota, Colombia.

According to another European study, if 10% of the population were to replace one car trip a day with a bike ride, overall carbon emissions from transportation would also drop 10%. Research done by Portland State University showed that if 15% of car trips were instead taken by electric bicycle, we could see a 12% decrease in transportation-related emissions. Add in the fact that bikes are one of the lowest carbon-emitting modes of transportation, and it's safe to say that any way you look at it, bicycling benefits the environment.

Ask most people why they don’t bike and they’ll likely name safety as a key concern. A nationwide survey from the National Institute for Transportation and Communities found that a whopping two-thirds of U.S. residents would be more likely to bike if they were separated from cars by a physical barrier. There is so much research that shows people will bike if cities build good infrastructure. Overall, the average protected bike lane sees bike counts increase 75% in its first year alone.

Notably, bicycling in Sevilla, Spain, increased 435% when the city added 86 miles of dedicated bike lanes. Even smaller transformations to include protected bike infrastructure can have a huge impact. After buffered bike lanes were installed on Philadelphia's Spruce and Pine streets, bike traffic increased 95%, while intersections in Montreal with protected bike lanes saw 61% more bike traffic than comparable intersections with no bike infrastructure. There’s also evidence that protected bike lanes are better for bike share.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, a 2022 upgrade brought a two-way protected bike lane to a section of Garden Street, where before there had only been sharrows and door-zone bike lanes. The changes transformed the entire neighborhood: Bike mode-share nearly quadrupled and increased by more than 2%. Even accounting for seasonal dips in ridership, bicycling in the area increased more than sixfold since the separated bike lanes were built.

3. Yes, protected bike lanes are better than sharrows or standard bike lanes

As a rule of thumb, if something’s not going to be comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to ride, then don’t build it.

For decades, U.S. traffic engineers assumed that people on bikes could almost always share the road with cars. But a shoulder — even a striped bike lane — on a street with fast traffic isn’t an appealing place to bike for most people, especially women and less experienced riders. Putting a bike symbol in the middle of a busy thoroughfare does little to make it a place where parents feel comfortable riding with their children.

We now know, based on both U.S. and international experience, what kind of infrastructure designs give people of all ages and abilities the sense of safety, comfort, and enjoyment that makes them want to ride. This includes protected bike lanes, which are located next to the road and physically separated from traffic, as well as things like better lighting, traffic-calming barriers, and well-marked crosswalks. While sharrows might have a place in small towns or on low-stress streets, protected bike lanes should be the default for roadways with speeds above 25 mph or when vehicular volumes exceed 6,000 average daily traffic (ADT).

People living in bike-friendly communities tend to have better health outcomes due to increased physical activity, improved cardiovascular health, and reduced stress levels. A 2015 Columbia University study showed that New York City's $10 million investment in bike and pedestrian improvements resulted in an estimated societal health savings benefit of $230 million. Put another way, every $1,300 New York City invested in building bike lanes provided benefits equivalent to one additional year of life at full health over the lifetime of all city residents. 

According to the British Medical Journal, regular bicycling is associated with a 41% decrease in the risk of death from any cause, a 45% decrease in the risk of cancer, and a 46% decrease in the risk of heart disease. And the benefits don’t stop there: a PLOS Medicine study showed that people who began bicycling regularly after age 50 saw a 20% decrease in the risk of Type II Diabetes. 

5. Bikes lanes and trails are good for business

In response to proposed or newly built bike lanes, it seems like store owners often complain about reduced parking and customers lost. All of the evidence, however, points to the fact that installing protected bike routes tends to boost local shops. For example, after a hugely contested bike lane was installed on Skillman Avenue in Queens, New York, data shows that sales in the stores, bars, and restaurants on the seven-block commercial stretch collectively rose by 12%.

Other streets in New York have seen similar results: After the construction of a protected bike lane on 9th Avenue in Manhattan, local businesses saw a 49% increase in retail sales (on other streets in the borough, the average was only 3%) and a redesign of the city’s Union Square to include a protected bike lane resulted in 49% fewer commercial vacancies, compared to 5% more throughout Manhattan. And it’s not just in New York: In Salt Lake City's Broadway, replacing parking with protected bike lanes increased retail sales. 

There’s also evidence that customers who arrive at retail stores by bike spend the same amount per month compared to people who arrive by car — they tend to make smaller purchases but return more frequently. What’s more, neighborhoods that don’t require a car to move around are more economically resilient. Bike trails and greenways also benefit communities economically by attracting visitors, promoting job growth in tourism-related industries, and revitalizing communities through the "Trail Town" model and Trail-Oriented Development.

6. More bike infrastructure can benefit drivers, too

It’s important to remember that even if the infrastructure is perfect, not everyone will choose to bike. Die-hard drivers can still become bike advocates, however, especially when they realize that the more people ride bikes, the less car congestion there is. 

This was a key messaging point in Austin, where the city completed 115 miles of new bike lanes in just two years. By shifting traffic from cars to bikes and making it easier to reach transit stops, Austin's planned 400-mile protected bike lane network is projected to increase the city's traffic capacity by about 25,000 trips per day at about the same cost ratio as a single expressway widening.

In 2014, a New York City Department of Transportation (NYDOT) study found that after a six-foot buffered bike lane was installed on Columbus Avenue, car volumes were unaffected and that those cars moved 35% faster. According to an NYDOT statement, the “study found that on corridors with protected bike lanes traffic flow was maintained or improved on average because of the enhanced organization of the roadway.”

7. Protected bike lanes and reduced speeds save lives

Time and again, we see that when speed limits fall, safety rises. Because the likelihood of fatality increases exponentially with vehicle speed, even small reductions in speed limits can have an outsized effect. The Highway Safety Manual shows that deadly crashes can be decreased by 17% if speeds are reduced by just 1 mph, while a separate study from Sweden's Lund Institute of Technology found that a 10% reduction in average speed led to 34% fewer fatal crashes. (As an added bonus, there's evidence that lower speed limits improve air quality.)

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