Let’s remember the human face of bike share

In doing transportation equity work, it’s easy to undervalue individuality in favor of broader social goals. Fortunately, video is a medium that reminds us of everyone’s unique strengths and contributions.

From the beginning, the Better Bike Share Partnership has worked to bring forward individual stories. We want to kick off this year’s content by resharing our video profiles of diverse bike share riders, as well as interviews with some of the staff and organizers that keep bike share equity moving forward day-to-day.

First, here are a variety of bike share members talking about why and how they use their system:

Philly’s Indego gets you where you need to go from Better Bikeshare on Vimeo.

Meet Mjumbe Po, a digital services architect for the City of Philadelphia. He uses Indego bike share to get to and from his job, and to navigate downtown after work. Po explains what it’s like to field questions about the Indego system while using the bikes.

Austin B-Cycle moves people from Better Bikeshare on Vimeo.

Ernest Campos is both a musician and a restaurant worker. He uses BCycle to get out and about in the culturally-rich city of Austin, which also has many outdoor activities. Additionally, biking is the easiest and safest way for Campos to get to his work in the midst of busy downtown nightlife.

Getting around on Chicago’s Divvy bikeshare from Better Bikeshare on Vimeo.

Morgan Williams leads a busy life as a young business analyst. She uses Divvy bike share to get to work, run errands, go out to eat, and get to volleyball games. Biking affords Williams a different view of the city than she experiences while driving. Divvy also helps her avoid long waits for the bus.

And don’t forget about the practitioners who work hard to make bike share a more equitable form of transportation:

How To Build A Thriving, Equitable Bike Share System from STREETFILMS on Vimeo.

This video shares insights from a variety of professionals who attended the Better Bike Share Conference in June of 2016. Those interviewed talk about what it takes to make bike share successful, and what equity means to them in words and practice.

The Better Bike Share Partnership is a JPB Foundation-funded collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and the PeopleForBikes Foundation to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or sign up for our weekly newsletter. Story tip? Write stefani@peopleforbikes.org.