In April, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) – a group that often promotes alternative modes of transportation – warned that unregulated bike shares could actually hamper transportation in cities.

The group particularly took aim at “rogue” bike shares, or companies that launched services without consulting city officials. They “have launched, uninvited, in U.S. cities with flimsy equipment and limited or no public notification, posing significant safety risks to the public and fully divorced from larger transportation planning and municipal needs,” NACTO said. Kate Fillin-Yeh, NACTO’s strategy director and a former New York City official who designed and rolled out its Citi Bike program, now says she is pleased that the bike share companies have decided to work with city agencies rather than going around them.