The U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s newest primer, Shared Mobility: Current Practices and Guiding Principles, provides a free practical guide for local governments implementing or supporting shared mobility services.

Shared mobility – the shared use of a vehicle, bicycle, or other mode – enables users to gain short-term access to transportation modes on an as-needed basis. The term “shared mobility” includes various forms of carsharing, bikesharing, ridesharing (carpooling and vanpooling), and on-demand ride services, such Uber and Lyft. It can also include alternative transit services, such as paratransit, shuttles, and private transit services (called microtransit), which can supplement fixed-route bus and rail services.

The primer provides an overview of shared mobility services, lessons learned, guiding principles for incorporating shared mobility services into local transportation networks, and a chapter on common areas in which local governments have an impact on shared mobility. Chapter Four, “The Role of Public Agencies In Shared Mobility,” begins:

Local and regional governments are the most common public partners of shared mobility operators because of their role in transportation planning, public transportation, and parking policy. Congestion mitigation, air quality improvement, and parking management have been long-time goals of local governments.

A printable version of the primer is available here.