Author: Jimmy Gilman and John Lankford, Government Partnerships Team, Spin
In Columbus, Ohio, there’s a saying in transportation circles: “We’re adding a million more people to the region in the coming years – but we don’t have room for a million more cars.”
It’s a mindset that resonates far beyond Ohio. Cities everywhere are preparing for growth and the challenge is universal: how do you move more people without simply adding more cars to already congested streets?
Columbus is leading the path forward – investing in public transit, safer streets, and shared micromobility.
Last year, voters approved Issue 47 with 57% support, authorising a sales tax expected to provide approximately $6.2 billion for the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) by 2050. Together with the city’s Bike Plus Plan, this funding lays the groundwork for real mode shift and better first and last-mile options.
Columbus is now piloting a suite of new mobility innovations with shared micromobility operator Spin that other cities can adopt. These include new micromobility vehicles that broaden rider accessibility, safety and accountability tools, organized parking, equity programs and tighter integration with transit.
Investing in parking and safety solutions
Through safety measures, infrastructure, and equity programs, Spin aims to improve micromobility’s perception in the City of Columbus.
Spin’s Rider Score feature uses telematics and rider feedback to encourage safer behaviors and responsible parking. Rolled out this summer, the scoring system is showing early promise. In test markets including Columbus, 93% of riders achieve “Okay,” “Good,” or “Excellent” ratings, underscoring the program’s potential to improve safety and user accountability.
Meanwhile, infrastructure is advancing in tandem: Spin is working with the city to roll out 20 new parking hubs across Columbus. Not only does this make it easier for riders to find and return vehicles but, crucially, it keeps footpaths clear, ensuring that vehicles don’t present an obstacle for other road users.
Broadening micromobility’s appeal
Columbus is the first market for Spin’s Commuter e-bike, designed with a lower center of gravity for stability and broader rider appeal.
Spin is also upgrading portions of the fleet to Class 2 e-bikes with throttle assist – improving access on hills and for riders who can’t or prefer not to pedal long distances.
Electrical assistance has proven its popularity across the continent. The latest Shared Micromobility State of the Industry Report from NABSA found that e-bike trips hit a record high in 2024 with 64 million journeys recorded in North America.
E-bikes require less effort, facilitating longer journeys and demanding less from the rider. Columbus’ openness to innovation from operators like Spin makes it an ideal place to pilot technology that can enhance everyday trips.
Equity and affordability remains central to boosting micromobility’s accessibility. This year, Spin increased automatic, zone-based discounts in select lower-income areas of the City by expanding the geographic areas and increasing vehicle deployments within these zones. The result is that equity-zone ridership is up 61% YoY. This demonstrates the success of outreach and pricing programs designed to ensure micromobility access for all communities.
To remove barriers to access and simplify the digital experience, Spin’s strategic partnership with Lyft is seamlessly servicing Columbus users with shared micromobility solutions, enabling riders to rent Spin vehicles directly via the Lyft app. Combined with forthcoming COTA investments and the Bike Plus network, these integrations create a smoother door-to-door experience for more riders.
A micromobility model fit for the future
With nearly one million shared bike and scooter trips annually, Columbus is already a high-utilization market. The broader lesson is the template: a city-operator partnership that advances hardware, software, infrastructure and policy together – and measures results on safety, equity, parking compliance, and ridership.
Columbus shows what’s possible; Spin’s toolkit makes it portable. As Spin and Columbus continue to collaborate, the city is not just keeping pace with the micromobility revolution – it’s leading it.
