Bike commuters contribution to balance shared bike systems during peak load

Abstract

Bike sharing systems are a new and rapidly growing feature of modern cities. The most common problem in these systems is the capacity limitation. Demand depends on the station’s location and the time of the day. In this study, we analyze how user behavior incentivized or disincentivized changes depending on the station’s load, and as a result allows the stations to remain functional. We analyzed a dataset of NYC Citi Bike system rides and station states. The study shows that users tend to choose other stations as the number of bikes available decreases, and they are more likely to do so when an incentive is introduced. This paper contributes to the studies of collective use of city infrastructure.