A Black-led, family-owned company is bringing e-bikes to the Ohio town.

A Youngstown, Ohio bike share company launching in spring 2023 hopes to be a model for equitable, accessible bike share service. As Cinnamon Janzer explains in Next City, “Unlike most other bike shares, YoGo is a family-owned, Black-led local business that got started with a $174,000 loan it secured through the Youngstown Business Incubator.”
YoGo President Ronnell Elkins started the company after other micromobility operators bypassed Youngstown, not seeing the city as a viable market for bike share. “But for Elkins, YoGo is about more than just micro-mobility. He hopes that his efforts to start a new business in the city will inspire others to follow suit. It’s rare and recent for companies outside of the city’s deep history in the steel and manufacturing industries to pop up.”
YoGo will launch with four docking stations and electric bikes. As Janzer explains, “Not only do e-bikes allow users to travel further distances by bike more easily, but they can also be a better option for some people with mobility restrictions than can make riding a traditional bike difficult.”
FULL STORY: A Black-Led Bike Share Company Is Charting A New Course In Youngstown, Ohio

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.

Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service