Bike Share

RELATED TOPICS: Complete Streets, Community Engagement, E-Bikes, Transit

Bike sharing services, which debuted in the United States in 2010, provide bicycles for a daily, monthly, annual, or trip-based fee. Traditionally, bike sharing systems have been self-serve station-based, but a growing proportion of systems have bikes with built-in technology to provide flexible, “dockless” locations for more convenience and wider range of access. Some bike share fleets also include electric-assist bicycles.

Bike share is recognized as an option for first and last mile transit connections, and many places are integrating or considering bike share with mass transit. In addition to improving connections between transit and bike share, several systems across the United States are working to lower the barriers to access. Strategies for encouraging bike share include offering cash payment options, hiring community “champions” to improve outreach, and subsidizing rates. Most United States bike share systems are funded through a combination of Federal grants, private donations, and sponsorships.

Resources

Cycling and Scooting Through the Years
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
Provides annual updates on bikeshare and e-scooter system data from 2015 to 2024.

Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP)
Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP)
Offers resources, webinars, and tools to help increase use of shared micromobility systems.

National Association of City Transportation Officials Bike Share Initiative
National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
Provides best practice guidance on a variety of bike share topics and reports on the state of bike sharing in the United States.

Strategies for Engaging Community: Developing Better Relationships Through Bike Share
NACTO and Better Bike Share Partnership
Offers engagement tools to help bike share operators develop programming for communities.

Evaluating Efforts to Improve Bike Share Systems
Transportation Research and Education Center, Portland State University
Examines bike share systems from three different perspectives: system owners, residents, and users.

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Examples

Bike Share Implementation Strategy for City of Olathe, Kansas
City of Olathe and Mid America Regional Council
Provides a bikeshare plan for a town and offers insights from other bike share systems.

Boston, MA: First US Cargo E-Bike Share
AXIOS
Reports on the launch of the first cargo e-bike sharing program in the US, based in Boston, MA.

Seattle, WA: Spokeo Peer-to-Peer Bike Rental Company
Seattle Bike Blog
Describes a Seattle-based peer-to-peer bike rental company.

Shared Micromobility Pilot Promotes Access in Fort Smith, Arkansas
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Reports on a bikeshare pilot in Fort Smith, AR, aimed at developing a long-term pricing strategy, securing funding, and effectively placing stations to support low-income communities.

The Evolution of E-Scooter Parking Management in Austin, Texas
FHWA Fostering Multimodal Connectivity Newsletter
Describes how a city planned around the wave of dockless devices, and established regulations for their use and parking to ensure safe access to sidewalks and public rights-of-way for all users.

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