The Mineta Transportation Institute has released its latest peer-reviewed study that evaluates public bikesharing in North America as a follow-up to a 2012 study.
"Public Bikesharing in North America During a Period of Rapid Expansion: Understanding Business Models, Industry Trends & User Impacts," reviews the change in travel behavior shown by members of different programs in the context of their business models and operational environments, and it offers insights and recommendations for successful programs. Principal investigator was Susan A. Shaheen, PhD, working with Elliot W. Martin, PhD, Nelson D. Chan, Adam P. Cohen, and Joseph Michael Pogodzinski, PhD. The report can be found at http://transweb.sjsu.edu/project/1131.html
“For this Phase II study, interviews were conducted with IT-based bikesharing organizations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in spring 2013,” said Shaheen. “In addition to expert interviews, the research team conducted two kinds of surveys with bikesharing users. One was the online member survey sent to all individuals for whom the operator had an email address. The second survey was an on-street survey for anyone, including casual users – those who are not members of the system and use it on a short-term basis. These surveys were conducted on the street by way of a smartphone.”
Among the report’s findings:
- Among members, bikesharing reduces automobile dependency and may reduce public transit ridership in situations where bikesharing provides a faster, more direct, and lower-cost alternative.
- Vandalism and theft are reduced significantly now that smart-card technologies maintain accountability.
- Bicycle redistribution or “rebalancing” remains a challenge because of the “real-time” information and the physical effort required to keep stations properly supplied.
- Most riders infrequently wear helmets while using shared bicycles. Helmet use was highly correlated with helmet ownership.
- Bikesharing riders have fewer accidents, likely because of the bikes’ safety features and supportive infrastructure.
- Establishing partnerships within local government and with community stakeholders is necessary for successful bikesharing operations.
- To be successful, public bikesharing programs must address specific user and market-segment needs before and after deployment.
The authors also identified several improvements and useful lessons that could be applied in marketing and outreach, operations and equipment, and system planning and scale.
Chapters include Public Bikesharing by the Numbers; The Business of Bikesharing; Public Bikesharing Operations; Equity Considerations; and more. Copies of the member surveys are provided in English, Spanish, and Canadian French.
The member survey was deployed in five cities with 6,373 individuals: Mexico City, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Montreal, Salt Lake City, and Toronto. The on-street survey of 205 users was implemented in three cities: Boston, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio.
