Session Spotlight: Equity in the Dockless Age Workshop
As the bikeshare and shared micromobility industry grows and expands, communities and operators are looking at how to engage with diverse communities that need low-cost, healthy transportation options. NABSA is committed to promoting an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of its staff, members and the communities they serve. This fall, NABSA will host a workshop on Equity in the Dockless Age at the 2019 NABSA Annual Conference. This interactive workshop will be led by Helen Ho and Dorothy Suchkova of the Biking Public Project.
“We started the Biking Public Project because we were both planners and avid cyclists, but we felt that there weren’t enough people in this field who looked like us – as women or as people of color,” Helen told NABSA. “We wanted an organization that looked at the issues that immigrant communities experience when biking, because it’s so different than the typical conversation.”
The Biking Public Project has focused much of their research and advocacy on food delivery workers in New York City. These workers have a significantly different demographic than other delivery workers, such bike messengers and couriers, with more Spanish-speaking and Chinese immigrants working in food delivery than other delivery services. These populations face different challenges and barriers in their cycling experience, which the Biking Public Project has documented and championed since its founding.
Helen and Dorothy will bring their lessons learned in speaking with underserved communities such as these. In nearly five years of research and advocacy, they have learned that the questions that they posed as planners is not always what the community feels is the most important barriers.
“We want people to learn from each other and bring their best ideas on equity practices in this workshop,” Helen said. “These conversations can be uncomfortable, and we want to give license for participants to feel that way. In order for progress to happen, those of us in the power seats need to practice being uncomfortable to better serve the public.”
