Biden-Harris Transition Letter

With surface transportation legislation up for reauthorization earlier this year in the US, NABSA was encouraged to see several years of our hard work pay off in a House bill — the INVEST Act — that included provisions that would benefit shared micromobility. The House passed the INVEST Act in July, which marks an opportunity to work toward a final bill that could include first-time policies that give shared micromobility a stronger position in transportation networks across the US.

Building on this momentum, NABSA identified immediate actions that the Biden-Harris Administration can take in the first one hundred days to support a final reauthorization bill that bolsters shared micromobility and its benefits to communities. Encouraged by President-elect Joe Biden’s statement that he will help cities invest in infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists, NABSA has called on the transition team to take the following four actions:

1. Ensure that bikeshare is included as an “associated transit improvement,” as proposed in the Bikeshare Transit Act of 2019, and include shared e-scooters as an “associated transit improvement” as well.
2. Ensure that The Bicycle Commuter Act of 2019, which extends the Commuter Tax Benefit to include bikeshare, passes in a final reauthorization bill, and consider an amendment that extends the Act to shared e-scooters.
3. Amend Section 129 of title 23, United States Code to include shared micromobility as an eligible expense of the CMAQ Program.
4. Ensure the passage of the new Community Climate Innovation Grant and Carbon Pollution Reduction program proposed in the INVEST Act, and ensure eligibility for shared micromobility in these programs.

Now, more than ever, citizens rely on shared micromobility to get to where they need to go. According to the 2019 Shared Micromobility State of the Industry Report, Americans took 136 million trips on shared bikes and scooters in 264 US cities in 2019. In doing so, we helped take tens of millions of car trips off of streets, making transportation systems safer, more sustainable, and more equitable. And when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, shared micromobility was there for people, helping support transit networks, fill transit gaps, and help essential workers get to where they need to go with affordable, socially-distant transportation. The addition of the above provisions will enable crucial investment in shared micromobility programs for the citizens that rely on it to get to work and move around their communities, and incentivize shared micromobility as a transportation option that can help complete transit networks and make them more equitable, help improve air quality and reduce emissions, reduce congestion, and provide an accessible means for physical activity.

Increased focus on climate change and sustainability has helped gain attention for shared micromobility, but the solidification of our place in transportation legislation will further propel our growth.

NABSA continues to advocate for policies that benefit the shared micromobility industry.  Follow along with our advocacy efforts here.