Lessons from thirteen years of the London cycle hire scheme: A review of evidence

Abstract

Bicycle sharing has grown rapidly since the 2000s, but there is a lack of thorough retrospective analysis performed from a long-term perspective. This paper takes London as its focus, aiming to evaluate the performance of the London cycle hire (LCH) scheme, draw general practical implications for bicycle sharing, and summarize future research directions. This paper reviews the empirical evidence that has appeared in academic literature, policy documents, and technical reports. Issues covered in this review include: (1) LCH users and demand patterns, (2) substitutability and complementarity with other travel modes, (3) public health impacts, (4) interventions that have affected the usage and demand patterns of LCH, and (5) the impacts of COVID-19. Overall, LCH has achieved its primary goals of promoting cycling and has also brought benefits to public health and urban transportation resilience, and yet some minor problems persist. Practical implications for the implementation, operation, and evaluation of bicycle sharing schemes are offered based on our collection of evidence.