Themes » Bike Sharing

Bike sharing

Bike Sharing Systems in urban areas usually differ from traditional bicycle rental services since they are rather offers for daily mobility than leisure oriented systems. In contrast to those conventional renting schemes, Bike-Sharing Systems can be used one-way for either mono modal or intermodal trips. As a flexible mobility option they can be considered as additional part of public transport systems.

A long list of possible benefits makes bike sharing attractive for municipal organisations as well as for business companies. First of all the increasing price of natural resources especially for oil necessitates thinking about sustainability, efficient use of resources and development of new innovative solutions. This situation is comparable with the late seventies after the two oil prize shocks. Cities like London and Stockholm created a city toll for using the car downtown. Other cities like Rome or Sao Paolo (Brazil) permit car use dependant from the number plate.

Furthermore the increasing urbanisation brings the necessity to think about alternative transport concepts. Growing density of the population in cities intensifies the problem of insufficient infrastructures. Those infrastructures can only be enlarged to a certain level. Thus new ways and concepts for an efficient use of the existing infrastructures have to be found. Bikes require only little space and do also reduce the emission of exhausts and the need for fuels in cities.
Also an economic effect for cities and individuals comes with bike-sharing. Bikes are a cheap mode of transport with need for low-tech infrastructures. Therefore a relatively low amount of investments is needed to create or expand infrastructures. With concepts for bike-sharing even the costs for owning vehicles cease to apply. Operators benefit from a change of mobility behaviour and the improvement of their image.

As cities are competing for tourists and guests they invest a big effort in presenting their city as modern and innovative. In that context bike sharing can be seen as an environmental service to support the modernity and individuality of a city. Get to know the city by cycling will be more and more promoted as an unique experience.

A further long term effect is an overall increase of awareness for cycling and sustainable transport modes. With the possibility to connect bike sharing with other modes of transport new mobility options are being created. This may lead to a change in minds and with that to a change in mobility habits.

Since there have been some successful bike-sharing systems operating in different cities for several years (Call a Bike, Clear Adshel, JCDecaux …) there is an increasing faith in that market and their stakeholders. The role of bike sharing is still a minor one but it seems that a big step could be made within the next years. With the work in SPICYCLES that step shall be supported.

Deliverables
The overall goal of WP3 is to develop a general framework for the
implementation of bike sharing services. Therefore a document including key
findings and recommendations for the set up of a bike sharing service has to
be handed in at the end of the Spicycles project time (month 34). The work
for this deliverable is already in progress. In the following a draft for possible
contents can be found. This draft will be enhanced and amended during the
process of work.

A Potential Demand of the City
  1. Urban Structure
    • Area
    • Inhabitants / Households
    • Employees / Secondary labour force / unemployment
    • Commuters
    • Tourists / Guests
  2. Traffic Data
    • Means of transport
    • Density of cars
    • Traffic accidents
    • Casualties
  3. Statistics Public Traffic
    • Dimension of PT
    • Number of passengers
    • Number of stops
    • Bicycle paths
  4. Safety & Thefts
    • Criminality level generally
    • Number of bike thefts
    • Detection rate of bike thefts
  5. Possible area(s) for bike rental
    • Infrastructure (open spaces)
    • Bike stands
  6. Political Support

B Potential user basis and experiences

  1. Customer Analysis
    • Segmentation of customers / describing mobility types
    • Heavy user / commutation ticket owner
    • Proportion of car sharer
  2. Using
    • Leisure / work
    • On weekdays / weekend
  3. Acceptance
  4. Mobility behavior
    • Potential change
    • Traffic impacts
    • Ecological impact
  5. Potentials
    • Customers
    • Rides

C Market research for bike rental systems

  1. Pick up and drop off locations
    • Station based systems
    • Flexible systems
    • Mixed-systems
  2. Access technology
    • SmartCard
    • Mobile
    • Etc.
  3. Business models
    • Privately operated
    • Publicly operated
    • Cooperation of public and private operators
    • (Bike-rental Systems as part of tender for street furniture)
  4. Financing
D Creation of Bike-Rental System or Tender of Municipality
  • Definition of Parameter
  • Financial framework
  • Possible cross trades
  • Numbers of bikes
  • Numbers of racks
  • Business model …
  • Decision

E Set-Up of Bike-Rental Systems
  • Steps for Installation
  • Procurement of Bikes Locks
  • Set-up of IT, Customer Care
  • Service station for repair service, storage
  • Etc.

F Start of Operation

G Impacts
  • Impacts on traffic
  • Impacts on User behavior

H Timetable for the Set-up
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