The Good, the Bad, and the Rebalanced Honest Lessons & Opportunities from Bike Share Expansion

Speakers -Jane Wilberding, HNTB -David Powe, CDOT -Sarah FioRito, City of Evanston -Remel Terry, Equiticity -Ryan Ruehle, Cook County DoTH Bike share in Chicago has evolved from a pilot into a true transportation system, with interest in expanding into suburban and lower‑density communities across the region. But whether deploying in downtown Chicago or exploring new municipal contexts, the path to adoption is never straightforward. This session highlights different stages of growth and lessons learned from the successes of 13 million trips in Chicago, expanding boundaries in Evanston, alternative models in North Lawndale, and Cook County’s efforts to support regional scale. Featuring practitioners and advocates navigating these tradeoffs, the session offers practical lessons on what it takes to scale bikeshare and how communities can approach their own next steps.