Introducing Ourselves (and Bikeshare) to Neighborhoods

At Lyft Urban Solutions, we're dedicated to providing world-class, station-based micromobility solutions that empower cities and unite riders. Our nationwide expansion is ongoing, with a strong focus on thoughtfully integrating into new neighborhoods. Key to this effort is our community organizer team, composed of ambassadors and interns hired locally each year across the U.S. They help promote ridership and increase comfortability on bikeshare through outreach, educational initiatives, and engaging events. 

Our systems' community organizers operate by a simple yet powerful motto: 

• Be Everywhere. 
• Show Up When Asked. 
• Have a Good Time. 

Let’s dive into what that means.

Be Everywhere. 

When we introduce bikeshare to a new neighborhood, we understand that familiarity with the product or our brand isn't instanteous. From initial excitement to skepticism or even apprehension, we recognize and address diverse public perceptions about our bikes year-round. We want to be available to answer questions and, if possible, get people to try a bike. Above all, we want to be good neighbors.

How do we do it? 

Our teams approach community engagement strategically, beginning with extensive research and field checks to pinpoint optimal event settings. We directly activate our bikeshare stations, offering on-site demos and free ride coupons to spark interest. We consistently attend popular neighborhood events in our cities in order to continue to be seen. And above all, we’re friendly and inviting to people who might want to talk about bikeshare and take a ride. 

Show Up When Asked.

In the six bikeshare cities where we operate, neighborhoods and communities already in our service area are curious about how, when, and if they can use our bikes. We also regularly receive field requests from community organizations to give presentations or attend their events. Our aim is to say "yes" as often as possible.

How do we make this happen?

We actively seek out and add new community events to our calendars year-round. To make it easy for organizers, most of our markets offer online request forms for inviting our team and bikes to their gatherings. We continuously train all our community organizers to deliver informative and enjoyable presentations, effectively sharing the excitement of bikeshare with diverse audiences.

Have a Good Time.

This goes for both our community organizers and the event organizers themselves. We strive to have our teams be approachable and friendly and we’ll ensure to build a positive experience for everyone involved.

How do we ensure that?

We prioritize positive messaging and support the people on our teams as they grow in their careers. We know that outreach work can be exhausting, so we take a cohort approach to employment. We partner with workforce development organizations to develop 6-8 week employment periods with regular, dependable schedules that offer 2 consecutive days off. 

Beyond that, we champion professional development. Our weekly "lunch and learn" sessions foster mentoring and connect organizers with diverse Lyft Urban Solutions teams—from operations to engineering to communications. It's a fantastic way for them to visualize various career paths and discover where they might fit best.

As we continue to expand in markets across the country, Lyft Urban Solutions is committed to being present before new bikeshare stations are placed, and remaining engaged long after. We want to ensure that new communities feel comfortable with a new form of transportation on their streets, knowing our team will be there to support them, whether they ride for fun, exercise, or errands.