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Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
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How do you get around your community? The answer to that question depends on a lot of factors—where your town or city is located, where you live in relation to the downtown core, and even the average weather patterns in your region—but one of the most significant is your socioeconomic status. Research has shown that wealthier people are more likely to use private cars while economically-disadvantaged people are more likely to rely on public transit, biking, and walking.
Bike- and scooter-share programs have risen sharply over the past few years. Previously the domain of larger cities, Americans now ride shared e-bikes and e-scooters in communities across the nation. As of June 30, 2023, bikeshare systems serve 107 cities and e-scooter systems serve 156 cities. Many argue that these micromobility programs can fill the gaps left by traditional public transit and improve community connectivity. Surveys have found that they primarily replace walking trips, but they can also be replacements for public transit, ride-hailing, and private cars.
New research shows that low-income people increasingly use micromobility systems to connect with public transit and support car-free lifestyles, making them important tools for equity and economic growth. Main Streets across the country have already begun adopting and embracing micromobility systems—can they use them to advance equity as well?
Financial needs have a big impact on the ways that people use micromobility services. Research from the Monash Institute of Transport Studies explored a program called Lime Access, which subsidized e-scooter access for low-income riders. They found striking differences in the ways that Lime Access riders used the service compared to full-price riders.
Lime Access riders were more likely to use the service for essential trips, like grocery shopping and medical appointments, compared to full-price riders who primarily used it for social and recreational outings. These riders were also more likely to link their trips up with public transit.
Perhaps most importantly, the study found that micromobility is a suitable supplement, along with public transit, to support a car-free lifestyle. Half of the Lime Access riders said that one of the benefits of Lime is that it lets them “get somewhere without a car.” According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the average annual cost of owning and operating a car in 2022 was around $11,000. Median income in the United States is $74,580, meaning that a single car costs the median household almost 15 percent of their income. For low-income families, that burden is even higher.
Supporting car-free lifestyles with robust alternative transportation options frees up these financial resources for other uses, including wealth-building through education and entrepreneurship. In addition to these economic benefits, it also reduces pollution, improves access to healthy foods, reduces the need for parking, and enhances access to the downtown district.
Many Main Street communities have seen e-scooters traversing their downtowns and neighborhoods in the past few years, including San Antiono, Texas; Green Bay, Wisc.; Roswell, N.M.; Waterloo, Iowa; and Albert Lea, Minn. Bike share programs are also popular, with examples in Danville, Va.; St. Pete, Fla.; and a shared bike program between Lawrenceville and Aurora, Ind.
Main Street Waterloo partnered with Lime to bring e-scooters to their downtown. The program has grown rapidly and transformed the way that people access the area. Executive Director Jessica Rucker recommends that interested organizations understand the needs of their community, emphasize safety, conduct media outreach to educate the public, and find a local program manager to encourage program success.
As these programs grow and thrive, Main Streets can use them as tools to advance equity in their communities. Boston offers a great example of a program that combines micromobility and equity. In 2021, their Main Streets Free Transit program offered public transit and bikeshare subsidies for 1,000 employees who worked in the Main Street districts of Three Squares, Mission Hill, Nubian Square, East Boston, and Fields Corner. Bikeshare pass holders were able to take unlimited trips during the two-month pilot period. The program saw a significant increase in bike share usage, especially among people who did not own cars.
The e-scooter systems themselves can also be an entrepreneurial opportunity for local residents. Main Street Waterloo’s fleet manager is responsible for running their program, including deploying and maintaining scooters and building relationships with downtown businesses. “Through this opportunity, the Fleet Manager has become a small business owner,” said Jessica Rucker. Roswell’s program is founded and run by a local entrepreneur as well.
Other ways that Main Streets can support equitable micromobility include:
Micromobility can increase access, equity, and inclusion in your Main Street. Next time you are downtown, take a look at how people are getting around, and take a moment to think about how you can use transportation tools to make your downtown more welcoming for everyone.
Interested in bringing a micromobility program to your downtown? Check out this advice from Main Street Waterloo in their article "How to Bring E-Scooters to Your Downtown."
Community Heart & Soul, a Main Street America Allied Member, is this quarter's Main Spotlight advertiser. For more information about the products and services they provide to Main Street organizations, click here >
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
Learn how this Louisiana town has used an accessibility-first approach to build a welcoming and inclusive community.
Downtown Ruston, Louisiana. Photo by Henry McCoy.
Learn how the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta uses this unique mural program to celebrate Valentine's Day and raise important funding for their work.
This Washington Main Street is encouraging people to brave the rainy weather with their free umbrella share program.
Parking is a challenging problem for many Main Streets. We explored the arguments for and against free parking, and a method for conducting an inventory of parking in your downtown.
Miami, FL © Matt Alaniz
Learn how Bainbridge Island Downtown Association leverages their connection to the ferry to create a walkable and vibrant downtown.
Bainbridge Island, WA © Anna Carson
An innovative artistic project brings new life to the alleyways in Billings, Montana.
Billings, MT © Downtown Billings Alliance
In big cities and small towns, people face increasing danger when navigating communities on foot. As advocates for connected and walkable downtowns, Main Streets have a crucial role to play in increasing pedestrian safety.
Lansing, Michigan © Lansing 5:01
Learn how you can participate in the Thriving Communities program as a capacity builder or how you can receive support from the program.
To celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month, we explored three innovative and interesting parks-based projects and collaborations in Main Street communities.
Waterloo, Iowa, shares advice and lessons learned from their e-scooter program.
Learn how you can harness design principles and strategies to create a cooler, more welcoming downtown.
Main Street America was awarded $5.9 million to support 20 communities in the Main Streets Community of Practice through the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program over the next two years.
The City of Leeds, AL welcomed a new downtown mural over the holidays that has brought a sense of excitement and anticipation for the continuing efforts to focus on the Leeds downtown district.
Leeds, AL © Jeremy Dove
What is more Iowan than turning grain bins into public art? Learn how Main Street Coon Rapids created these beautiful murals to celebrate their downtown.
Coon Rapids, IA © Main Street Coon Rapids
Pollinator gardens are fantastic ways to increase green space, promote sustainability, and educate your community on the local environment.
Crofton, MD © Kerry Kelly
The AARP Community Challenge program gives out quick-action grants to activate public spaces. Meet some of the Main Streets awarded grants through the program this year.
Learn how these outdoor microspaces can contribute to more vibrancy in our public spaces.
Chairman Emeritus Ed McMahon explores the power of place in creating spaces people love.
Boise, ID © christiannafzger
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
Thomasville, GA © Thomasville Main Street
Intentional placemaking has had many unexpected benefits for this Alabama town.
Wetumpka, AL © Jenny Sue Stubbs
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
In contrast, the Main Street Program in Laramie, Wyoming, is thriving, having successfully cultivated millions of dollars to help fill these vacant, blighted spaces with permanent structures.
In this article we’ll explore the process of planning, funding, installing, operating, and enjoying music on your Main Street.
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
Placemaking is a strategy that Six Corners Association has enthusiastically applied to our community development efforts because of its seamless integration with the Main Street Approach.
How one Wyoming Main Street implemented a free bike share program.
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
The local Main Street organization, Downtown Milford Inc., is trying to address these shifting demographics by creating a more inclusive sense of community.
This is the story of how a National Endowment for the Arts gathering in DC inspired the leaders of a small town in Appalachia to connect with those in Milwaukee to transform a neglected park.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
This article is the second in a series on corridors and the important role they play in Main Street revitalization. The previous article focused on the historic origins of corridors, corridor types, and functions that they serve in our communities.
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
While the Main Street program may not take the lead in corridor enhancements, it can be a vital partner and advocate for improvements in overall community appearance.
Street pole banners preserve the historic character of main streets while fostering community awareness and engagement.
With strong community support, the Library Foundation was able to raise over $1.2 million dollars in private donations.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
A key goal of the Atlanta Streetcar is to attract investment to and revitalize the neighborhoods along the streetcar alignment.
