search menu flickr twitter phone angle-left angle-right angle-up angle-down file-pdf link-ext doc-inv sitemap location map calendar credit-card clock facebook-squared minus plus cancel ok instagramm download inkwell

Bike Share and Shared Micromobility Initiative

debug msg: this block is Large Text Block, Left Aligned

With over 343 million trips taken in the U.S. since 2010, bike share and shared micromobility have rapidly emerged as new transportation options that can increase cycling, improve urban mobility, and bolster public transit usage. These systems can also play an important role in cities’ safety, livability, and sustainability efforts by making it easier for people to get around without a personal vehicle.

To facilitate conversations between peer cities around this emerging field, NACTO holds roundtables, workshops, and webinars, and conducts research on best practices and challenges in regulating shared micromobility systems.

This work is made possible by the Better Bike Share Partnership and by ClimateWorks.


NACTO and the Better Bike Share Partnership have launched the Transportation Justice Fellowship, a development program for early- to mid-career professionals of color working in public & non-profit organizations the transportation sector.

Learn more about it >

debug msg: this block is Large Text Block, Left Aligned
debug msg: this block is Large Text Block, Left Aligned

Related NACTO Publications

Shared Micromobility Permitting, Process, and Participation

NACTO’s working paper Shared Micromobility Permitting, Process, and Participation outlines emerging trends in how cities manage micromobility networks, including the growth of electrified devices, the selection of operators based on strategic goals, and regulations to better organize devices. The paper also offers cities tactics for making systems more equitable and effective, from creating collaborative planning processes to investing in bike infrastructure and piloting low-speed zones for vehicle traffic.

Guidelines for Regulating Shared Micromobility

NACTO’s Guidelines for Regulating Shared Micromobility outlines best practices for cities and public entities regulating and managing shared micromobility services on their streets. Its recommendations were developed to reflect the wide variety of experiences that North American cities have had in regulating and managing shared micromobility.

Strategies for Engaging Community

Strategies for Engaging Community, produced in coordination with the Better Bike Share Partnership, provides guidance for practitioners seeking to build meaningful relationships with communities they serve as they plan for and operate bike share systems.

Bringing Equitable Bike Share to Bed-Stuy

A local partnership between Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration, NYC DOT, the NYC Department of Health, and Motivate successfully changed perceptions on bike share in the community, from what some perceived to be an out-of-reach amenity for newer residents, to a tool that all residents can use to meet their own personal goals.

A How-to Guide for Learning More about Bike Share in Your Community

NACTO’s Bike Share Intercept Survey Toolkit gives detailed instructions and a bank of over 100 pre-tested questions for creating and carrying out methodologically sound on-the-street surveys, allowing you to learn more about the needs and attitudes of all members of your community.

Bike Share Station Siting Guide

Bike share can improve the pedestrian experience, help reduce traffic fatalities, and reduce inequity in cities’ transportation networks. To support cities across the country working towards all of these goals, NACTO has released the NACTO Bike Share Siting Guide, which highlights best practices in station placement and design.

Equity Practitioners’ Papers

Walkable Station Spacing is Key to Successful, Equitable Bike Share

Equity Practitioners’ Paper #1: Based on an analysis of ridership data from a variety of U.S. bike share systems, this report makes the connection between station density, service quality and equity, and provides a data-driven analysis for system operators looking to expand the reach and utility of their bike share systems.

Can Monthly Passes Improve Bike Share Equity?

Equity Practitioners’ Paper #2: This paper explores the impact of bike share pricing structures on sign-up rates, particularly in low-income communities.

Equitable Bike Share Means Building Better Places for People to Ride

Equity Practitioners’ Paper #3: Based on in-house research and analysis of other reports, this paper finds that as cities build more bike lanes, the number of cyclists on the street increases, and the individual risk of a cyclist being killed or severely injured drops.

debug msg: this block is Large Text Block, Left Aligned

Bike Share and Shared Micromobility Events

Roadshows & Roundtables

Washington, D.C. (2013)
Denver (2013)
Austin (2018)
St. Louis (2019)
Virtual (2020)
Virtual (2021)

debug msg: this block is Large Text Block, Left Aligned

Additional Resources

Blog Posts

Committing to community: the 2021 Shared Micromobility and Cities for Cycling Roundtable (10/26/2021)
136 Million Trips Taken on Shared Bikes and Scooters Across the U.S. in 2019 (8/27/2020)
Regulating for the Public Good: Bike Share Peers Meet in St. Louis (6/20/2019)
NACTO Cities Gather in Austin to Discuss the Future of Bikeshare (7/12/2018)
Bringing Equitable Bike Share to Bed-Stuy (4/3/2017)
Better Bike Share Partnership Aims to Increase Equity and Access in Bike Share (1/22/2015)

Public Webinars / Videos / Workshops

Shared Micromobility RFPs: Regulating for the Public Good (#NACTO2020 Workshop)
NACTO x BBSP Bike Share & Cities for Cycling Virtual Roundtable Community Videos (7/29/2020)
Public Engagement that Counts (2/6/2018)
Linking Bike Share & Transit (1/16/2018)
NACTO’s Bike Share Intercept Survey Toolkit (11/3/2016)
How to Build a Thriving, Equitable Bike Share System (8/3/2016)

Press Releases / Public Statements

NACTO Releases Guidelines for Managing Shared Bikes and Scooters in Cities (9/11/2019)
84 Million Trips Taken on Shared Bikes and Scooters Across the U.S. in 2018 (4/17/2019)
NACTO and the Better Bike Share Partnership release best practice guidance for engaging communities in mobility initiatives (9/26/2018)
NACTO Releases Nationwide Bike Share Ridership Data (3/9/2017)
High-Quality Bike Facilities Increase Ridership and Make Biking Safer (7/20/2016)
NACTO Releases New Guidance on Bike Share Station Placement (4/21/2016)
Can Monthly Passes Improve Bike Share Equity? (9/16/2015)
Walkable Station Spacing Is Key to Successful, Equitable Bike Share (4/28/2015)

Press

Localities Pose Stricter Rules on E-Scooter Use, But Challenges Remain (Route Fifty, 11/9/2021)
As E-Scooters and E-Bikes Proliferate, Safety Challenges Grow (the New York Time, 10/11/2021)
Micromobility ‘here to stay’ despite COVID setbacks: NACTO (Smart Cities Dive, 9/2/2020)
E-scooters and bikes rebound as COVID-19 crisis keeps on rolling (Marketplace, 9/2/2020)
U.S. Scooter Ridership Surged in 2019. Now What? (CityLab, 8/27/2020)
The quiet triumph of bike share (Curbed, 12/16/2019)
How cities are shaping up for the micromobility challenge (Evening Standard, 9/17/2019)
After rise of scooters, NACTO updates micromobility guidance (Smart Cities Dive, 9/13/2019)
Electric scooters: Love or hate them? Here’s what you need to know (USA Today, 8/14/2019)
Welcome, watch or ban: how should cities deal with electric scooters? (the Guardian, 6/18/2019)
Micro-Mobility Is Here to Stay — Cities Should Act Accordingly (Government Technology, 5/1/2019)
How five cities are expanding bike share to underserved communities (Curbed, 4/23/2019)
As bike-share expands, neighborhood perception is key (Smart Cities Dive, 1/2/2019)
How cities should regulate the scooter surge (Curbed, 7/11/2018)
Can dockless and station-based bike-share programs coexist? (Curbed, 5/30/2018)
Americans Are Falling in Love With Bike Share (Wired, 5/3/2018)
How bike share is changing American cities (Curbed, 3/21/2017)
American Bike-Share Is Growing Quickly — In a Handful of Cities (Streetsblog, 3/9/2017)
Do Bike Share Systems Actually Work? (Outside, 12/1/2016)
How We’ll Know When We’re Getting Bike Equity Right (Next City, 4/26/2016)
The Why, Where and How of Adding Bike-Share Stations (Next City, 4/21/2016)
NACTO: If You Want Bike-Share to Succeed, Put Stations Close Together (Streetsblog, 4/29/2015)