Public Funding for Shared Micromobility Webinar Recap

Over the past year, we’ve seen public investment in shared micromobility grow in Canada and the United States. In a previous event, NABSA covered how municipalities around the world, including Guadalajara in Mexico, are investing in shared micromobility. On Leap Day, February 29th, NABSA brought together organizations in Canada and the United States to explore putting public dollars into shared micromobility and to discuss advocating for eligibility of public funds for shared micromobility.

The presenters were:

• Brodie Hylton, Executive Director, Cascadia Mobility
• Peter Topalovic, Manager of Active Transportation and Mobility, City of Hamilton
• Laura Krull, Bikeshare Program Manager, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
• Benny Foltz, Executive Director, ROAM Share

Here are some takeaways from the event:

• Shared micromobility is a tool that can be leveraged to build more equitable, environmentally sustainable, resilient transportation ecosystems and public funding should be used to harness these benefits.
• Municipalities can influence the success of a shared micromobility program by prioritizing shared micromobility as a line item in their operating budget, allocating dollars from climate action funds and projects, and integrating shared micromobility into transportation investments. 
• As communities seek to decarbonize transportation, electrification initiatives and funding can and should support shared micromobility system expansion and programs.
• States can and should invest in shared micromobility. LB1250 in Nebraska, a bill that would provide state-level grant funding for bikeshare programs, can be used as a template in other states and provinces to advocate for eligibility of public funding. 

Thank you to our panelists for a great discussion and for sharing their insights! Watch the full webinar recording below, and stay tuned to read more about public funding for shared micromobility in NABSA’s upcoming blog post.

NABSA hosts member-only and public virtual events throughout the year. Find information about our upcoming and past events at nabsa.net/virtualevents. NABSA members can access the presentation deck here after logging into their Member Center Account.