Understanding shared bike usages toward metros with fewer physical road separations

Abstract

Physical road separations are normally considered cyclist-friendly, but whether they are unfriendly to the combination of bike-share (BS) and metros is seldom investigated since they might affect the cycling’s flexibility and convenience to cross streets and reach the destination. Although integrating BS and metro is thought to mitigate traffic congestion, how traffic congestion affects the usage of integration remains unknown. This study, conducted in Suzhou, China, examines new factors (road separation and traffic congestion) alongside well-studied factors influencing BS and metro integration. The survey revealed increased BS usage frequency after a new metro’s opening. Variables such as road separations, traffic congestion information, road network density, and proximity to metros are considered. They are processed in a selected area considering cyclable network and Thiessen Polygon corresponding to the selected metro stations. An ordered probit model is established to investigate significant factors. It is found that as more columns of road separations exist, the cyclists are less likely to use BS towards metros, regardless of whether they are cycling weekends or weekdays. Interestingly, after the new metro opened and a new metro hub was formed, proximity to the new metro hub is associated with lower BS transfer demand. A higher congestion level promotes more cycling toward the metro system on weekdays as well as higher parking fees. This indicates that the combination of BS and metro could attract former motor vehicle users and this finding could be instructive for urban planners and road designers.