Mobility by bicycle: National collaboration awarded three-year grant for equity program

The JPB Foundation was awarded a three-year grant by PeopleForBikes to support the Better Bike Share Partnership.

BBSP is a national collaboration focused on improving social and racial equity in shared micromobility systems in the United States.

BBSP partners are the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS), the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and PeopleForBikes, which will work together to carry out the mission.

“Shared micromobility means more options for people in need of reliable transportation,” Tangier Barnes-Wright, PeopleForBikes’ senior partnership and program manager, said. “When done equitably, it results in significant social, health, economic and sustainability benefits for lower-income and BIPOC communities. I am excited to continue our support of organizations that are breaking down barriers to using shared micromobility for these groups.”

The Better Bike Share Partnership has received four previous grants since its inception in 2014. The new funding will assist a second round of Living Lab grantees, which will address barriers preventing the use of shared micromobility in low-income and BIPOC communities nationwide. Funds will also finance the Transportation Justice Fellowship to continue supporting professional development for people of color working in the transportation field, as well as NACTO’s shared micromobility roundtable, mini-grants and a robust storytelling platform.

“Over the last nine years, the Better Bike Share Partnership has been instrumental in addressing issues of equity, access, diversity, inclusion and justice in the shared micromobility industry. Through grants, research projects, written guidance, presentations and technical assistance support, BBSP has helped cities and operators implement bike and scooter systems that help folks travel to much-needed resources,” Waffiyah Murray, Indego program manager at OTIS, said. “The City of Philadelphia is honored to be a partner in this work, serving as a living example of how BBSP best practices are successful when implemented in an intentional and meaningful way.”

According to Senior Program Manager for Biking at NACTO Cary Bearn, more than a half billion trips in the U.S. since 2010 make micromobility important for growing transportation options in hundreds of cities.

“Because of the Better Bike Share Partnership, equity is a central part of the conversation about shared micromobility. NACTO is excited to continue collaborating with PeopleForBikes and the City of Philadelphia for another three years to support cities and operators in making sure these popular systems are equitably serving low-income areas and communities of color,” Bearn said.

PeopleForBikes is the U.S. bicycle industry’s trade association and a national advocacy nonprofit representing more than 325 bicycle industry supplier members and nearly 1.4 million individuals.