How LYFT Built One of the World’s Largest Bikeshare Networks - Caroline Samponaro, VP Lyft

In this episode of the Micromobility Podcast, Prabin Joel Jones speaks with Caroline Samponaro, VP of External Affairs at Lyft Urban Solutions, about building and scaling some of the most successful public bike share programs in the world, and why she believes the station-based model is the future of urban micromobility.Caroline shares her journey from bicycle activist and community organiser in New York City, through a brief stint at dockless pioneer Ofo, to helping Lyft build its infrastructure-first approach to bike share. She breaks down what makes programs like Citi Bike, Divvy, and Capital Bikeshare work, why free-floating was a distraction, and what the next decade of public micromobility looks like.Topics covered:• From anthropology student to bike advocate: Caroline's path into micromobility• What Lyft Urban Solutions actually is and the scale it operates at• Why Lyft doubled down on station-based bike share while Uber walked away• The Citi Bike story: 36k bikes, 47m  trips, and a single-day record of 206k rides• Why free-floating costs 26% more per ride than station-based over a contract lifecycle• The new Pillar station: independent bollards, latch docking, and in-dock charging• How Chicago's Divvy program combines e-bikes, e-scooters, and hybrid parking• What makes a bike share city: network density, political will, and long-term thinking• Protected bike lanes and why infrastructure and tools must go together• Advice for city officials designing or procuring a micro-mobility program