Last year, the National League of Cities (NLC) released “Micromobility in Cities,” which provides a history and policy of the modality. Micromobility is a category of very small (usually one passenger) light mode of transportation, such as dockless bikes and electric scooters.

The report includes recommendations for cities that want to implement micromobility policies. NLC advises that these cities should:

• Be proactive to avoid “surprise deployments” of micromobility vehicles;
• Utilize pilot programs to better understand cost structure, local impacts, right-of-way policies, and sustainability and opportunities of partnering with micromobility companies;
• Consider the safety of pedestrians and other road users;
• Develop a plan and agreement for users’ trip data;
• Reevaluate current bike infrastructure; and
• Reach out to other cities that have implemented similar micromobility programs.

In late January, NLC released additional recommendations for cities implementing micromobility infrastructure, including:

• Harmonize transportation permitting programs to adapt to the changing landscape of transportation needs in your city; and
• Build out micromobility strategies to develop a clear picture of what needs micromobility companies will fulfill.