Title: Bikesharing in Europe, The Americas, and Asia: Past, Present, and Future
Publication Information: Transportation Research Record, 2009
Author(s): Susan Shaheen, Stacey Guzman, Hua Zhang
Document Date: March, 2010
Number of Pages: 19
Abstract:
Growing
concerns over global motorization and climate change have led to
increasing interest in sustainable transportation alternatives, such
as bikesharing (the shared use of a bicycle fleet). Since 1965,
bikesharing has grown across the globe on four continents including:
Europe, North America, South America, and Asia (including Australia).
Today, there are approximately 100 bikesharing programs operating in
an estimated 125 cities around the world with over 139,300 bicycles.
Bikesharing's evolution is categorized into three generations: 1)
White Bikes (or Free Bike Systems); 2) Coin-Deposit Systems; and 3)
IT-Based Systems. In this paper, the authors propose a
fourth-generation: "Demand-Responsive, Multi-Modal Systems." A
range of existing bikesharing business models (e.g., advertising) and
lessons learned are discussed including: 1) bicycle theft and
vandalism; 2) bicycle redistribution; 3) information systems (e.g.,
real-time information); 4) insurance and liability concerns; and 5)
pre-launch considerations. While limited in number, several studies
have documented bikesharing's social and environmental benefits
including reduced auto use, increased bicycle use, and a growing
awareness of bikesharing as a daily mobility option. Despite
bikesharing's ongoing growth, obstacles and uncertainty remain,
including: future demand; safety; sustainability of business models;
limited cycling infrastructure; challenges to integrating with public
transportation systems; technology costs; and user convenience (e.g.,
limited height adjustment on bicycles, lack of cargo space, and
exposure to weather conditions). In the future, more research is
needed to better understand bikesharing's impacts, operations, and
business models in light of its reported growth and
benefits.
Bikesharing, Europe, Asia, North and South America, bicycle, technology