2022 Conference Recap

From October 25 through October 27, NABSA convened shared micromobility and transportation leaders, practitioners, operators and equipment providers in Guadalajara, Mexico, for our ¡Vamos! Let’s go! Defining the Future of Micromobility Together Conference. 

Special thanks to our host BKT bici pública, our presenting sponsor Lyft, and all our other sponsors for making this event possible!

For the first time in three years, we gathered together in person. We shared our progress and exchanged new ideas. We held deep, important conversations on key micromobility topics and still made time to explore the city through our mobile workshops and come together as a community during our receptions. 

Across 19 sessions and three days, we discussed diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the industry, ways to repurpose and reuse equipment, the role of micromobility in climate change, e-assist, adaptive bikeshare and so much more. 

If you want to relive the conference (or find out what you missed), just keep reading!

We kicked off the first day of the conference with our annual tradition – the Rapid Fire Slideshow! It was the perfect opportunity to learn more about NABSA members as they shared the work they’re doing in their communities across North America and the world.

From there, attendees jumped into one of the workshops below:

• MiBici: Behind the Scenes
• Ride to Guadalajara’s Downtown
• Walk to Paseo Alcalde and Día de Muertos Market
• Shared Micromobility 101

Through the workshops, we explored shared micromobility (and did some literal exploring of Guadalajara!) before heading over to the opening reception at the remarkable and historic Museo Cabañas.

Day two began with the opening plenary and keynote address from General Director of IMEPLAN (Institute of Planning and Development Management of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara) Patricia Martinez, who spoke about how the micromobility plan for Guadalajara began and where it’s headed moving forward. We also heard from:

• NABSA Executive Director Sam Herr
• Coordinador General Estratégico de Gestión del Territorio del Estado de Jalisco Arq. René Caro Gómez
• Chief Operations Officer of BKT bici pública Mario Delgado
• Caroline Samponaro, VP, Public Policy, TBS, Lyft and NABSA board member

After the kickoff, attendees had their choice of the following sessions:

• Don’t Call This a Comeback: Repurposing and Reusing Equipment to Grow Shared Micromobility
• Gut Check: How Data-Informed Decision Making Improves Outcomes and Creates Opportunities
• Putting Action Behind the Words: Why Your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Goals Keep Falling Flat
• Bikes, E-Bikes & Scooters, Oh My! How to Manage Your Fleets and Develop a Thriving Ecosystem
• Hot Topic: Climate Change and Shared Micromobility
• The Big Picture on Data and Data Management: Benefits and Opportunities

Then we all joined up for the Developing a Diverse & Inclusive Shared Micromobility Workforce session led by Brytanee Brown, the principal and founder of emergent labs. 

Thank you to everyone who submitted their survey in advance, helping us foster a strong and productive conversation around the importance and development of DEI in the micromobility workforce. Because of these conversations, NABSA’s DEI working group now has next steps to consider.

We rounded out the conference sessions on day two with the NABSA annual meeting. Attendees learned what NABSA has been up to this year and what we have planned for the future. We elected five new board members! Please welcome Gabriela Becerra Castellanos, James Davies, Sophie Nenner, Nelle Pierson and Sean Wiedel to the NABSA Board of Directors. Thanks for joining us!

After the sessions ended, we headed over to Loba, an award-winning local brewery in Guadalajara, for our second reception. Attendees networked with new people and caught up with old friends while enjoying this highlight of Guadalajara.

Day three started with a video from Viceminister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights and Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Martha Delgado Peralta and then a keynote from Mobility and Transportation Director of Guadalajara’s Municipality, Carlos Soto.

Attendees then headed off to their choice of four out of 12 different sessions, including:

• Small But Mighty: The Importance of Shared Micromobility in Small Communities and Regional Systems
• The Road More Traveled: Advocating for Safe Street Infrastructure for Bike and Scooter Users
• You Are Here: Exploring Shared Micromobility’s Role in Mexico
• Gender Matters: A Closer Look at Gender in Shared Micromobility
• Three E’s for Successful E-assist: Efficient, Economical, Equitable
• Adaptive Bikeshare: Part One
• From Pilot to Permanent: Navigating New Challenges and Opportunities in the “New Normal”
• Measure What You Treasure: Shared Micromobility Data Collection and Metrics Standardization
• Adaptive Bikeshare: Part Two
• Better Bike Share Partnership Living Labs in Living Color: Advancing Equity in Shared Micromobility
• It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right: Transit and Shared Micromobility Partnerships That Work
• The Connected Network: Why Building Bike Lanes, Equity, Ridership, Local Partners and Financial Sustainability Are All Linked – And How To Do It

Thanks to everyone who joined in on our Adaptive Bikeshare Workshop part one and two, hosted by Dara Baldwin the director of National Policy, Center for Disability Rights, and John Waterman from Programs to Educate All Cyclists, respectively. 

The conference concluded with our closing social and a special appearance from a local mariachi band!

Thank you again for your support of NABSA and our annual conference. After so long apart, you made our reunion something special. Together, our community connected in a new city and explored how our industry has grown and changed. When we learn together, we grow together and build better micromobility all throughout North America and across the world. Thank you all for sharing and for listening.

We can’t wait to do this all again in the future and hear about your new accomplishments!

Miss a session you were interested in? Unable to attend at all? Session materials are available for all NABSA members!

Are you a member? Access the materials through our Knowledge Share Conference Archive. Please note that you will need to log in to your member center account to view the archive. Click here if you need to create a member center account.