Advancing Advocacy: Relationships, Not Just Policy

When it comes to advancing shared micromobility, the most important tool in your advocacy toolkit isn’t data or facts, it’s trust. Building strong, consistent relationships with decision-makers is what turns policy ideas into tangible wins.

Policymakers, both elected officials and their staff, want to hear from people they know and respect. That means showing up before you have an ask. Schedule introductory meetings, share updates from your system, and highlight the ways your work supports their constituents and community priorities like safety, affordability, and climate goals.

Relationships also take follow-through. If you promise to share ridership data or connect a policymaker with a local user story, do it quickly. Consistency builds credibility, and credibility is what makes your advocacy stand out when competing priorities crowd the agenda.

At every level of government, officials and their staff are juggling dozens of issues. By positioning yourself as a trusted, reliable resource, you make it easier for them to say yes, not just once, but again and again.

Key takeaway: Effective advocacy is about cultivating relationships that last beyond a single policy initiative, ensuring shared micromobility becomes something that policymakers and policy professionals are well-versed in and fully understand.

Learn more about how to impact federal policy with NABSA’s upcoming Advocacy Toolkit, a comprehensive resource designed to support members in shaping federal policy across North America. We’re excited to officially roll out the full toolkit at the NABSA Annual Conference, where members will get the first look at practical tools, templates, and strategies to strengthen advocacy across North America.