Bike sharing
Bike sharing systems provide bike stations/docks – where bicycles are available for the public to rent – over a certain geographical area. The most common systems allow individuals to either rent a bike for a single trip or subscribe to a monthly/annual pass. With a pass, subscribers can typically take out a bike as often as they wish as long as they return it within a certain period (often 30 minutes). Additional time is often charged extra. Bikes can typically be returned at any station, irrespective of where the bike was rented. "Dockless" bike sharing systems allow users to park bikes at any location within the system area. Users locate and unlock them via mobile phone applications.
Bike sharing systems may be provided by public authorities or private companies. Hybrid solutions also exist – for example, a popular solution is to contract a private entity to provide a bike sharing programme to a jurisdiction in exchange for the right to use public space to display advertisements, e.g. on billboards, bus shelters, kiosks and the bikes.
Electric bike sharing has also been introduced. Such bikes allow people to travel farther with less exertion. They are especially deployed in hilly environments to attract more users.
CO2 reductions from bike sharing systems come from the replacement of trips formerly made by motorised vehicles. The values differ in the literature, especially on how they are measured.
In general, every car-kilometre replaced by bike is equivalent to an approximate reduction of 0.185 kg of CO2. The value depends on the energy efficiency of the car used for the comparison and on whether the comparison accounts for direct “tailpipe” or life-cycle emissions of the vehicles. For electric bikes, the per-kilometre comparison to a car will be somewhat less favourable if the emissions stemming from power generation and distribution to the bike are considered.
The rates at which bike sharing replaces car trips differ among cities. Bike share users report having decreased their car use by amounts ranging from zero to almost 50%.
The average transport system-wide CO2 reductions reported have typically been very small or close to 1%. Incentives for bike sharing measures should therefore be combined with other travel demand management measures to ensure that increased bike use comes at the expense of less sustainable travel modes. Ideally, bike sharing systems are well integrated with the public transport offer (e.g. they serve as a feeder service). That way they can encourage public transport use and may further reduce the use of less sustainable modes, such as private motorised vehicles.
Bike sharing system costs are related with the system’s installation, operation and maintenance.
Capital cost estimates range from USD 3 000 to USD 4 500 per bike and annual operating/maintenance costs from USD 1 200 to USD 2 000. Costs for the use of public space, maintenance of the bikes/stations and personnel to operate the service also need to be considered. To offset these, revenue can be generated by charging users for the service and selling advertising space on the bikes, at the stations and on web or phone applications. Where private organisations are involved in provision of bike sharing, costs to public authorities can be limited or entirely avoided.
Bike sharing systems can:
- reduce congestion and thereby improve air quality
- increase accessibility in the city (users have greater access to places that are beyond their reach on foot)
- increase the reach and mode share of public transport by acting as a feeder service (e.g. filling a critical gap between a public transport stop and the trip origin or final destination)
- improve cycling’s image and thereby increase its overall mode share
- improve residents’ mental and physical health
- improve a city’s image and branding.
Free-floating bike sharing systems must be regulated to prevent the bicycles, especially those abandoned or illegally parked, from becoming a nuisance to residents.
Dockless systems can interfere with pedestrian space if return of bikes to authorised or dedicated spots is not appropriately managed.
If bike infrastructure is not adequate for users’ travel patterns, the accident risk (including fatalities) increases considerably, especially for users unfamiliar with local conditions, e.g. tourists.
ITF (2021) Transport Climate Action Directory – Bike sharing
https://www.itf-oecd.org/policy/bike-sharing
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