Shared E-bikes are more resilient than shared bikes to extreme temperatures: Evidence from Citi Bike in New York City

Abstract

As a form of active travel, shared bike use has been challenged by climate change, particularly by the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme temperatures. Although studies indicate that shared e-bikes have the potential to reduce the barriers to cycling, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have compared the temperature resilience of shared bikes and shared e-bikes. To address this gap, we comparatively assess the effects of temperature on shared bike and shared e-bike usage. Based on two-way fixed effects panel regression models estimated using 36.2 million trip records from New York City's Citi Bike system in 2023, our results show that the temperature-induced usage losses are 5.6 and 7.7 percentage points smaller for shared e-bikes than shared bikes during hot (30–32 °C) and cold (−2–0 °C) temperatures, respectively, reflecting a higher climate resilience for the former than the latter to temperature extremes. However, when temperatures are lower than −2 °C, the resilience advantages of shared e-bikes are weakened. Furthermore, the temperature effects on shared e-bikes and shared bikes exhibit spatial and temporal heterogeneities, with short-duration, short-distance, and weekday trips presenting higher temperature resilience at both hot and cold temperatures. Under hot temperatures, areas with lower median household income showcase higher temperature resilience. The findings drawn from this study hold critical practical implications for planning and investing in shared e-bikes to enhance the temperature resilience of active travel, particularly in heat-vulnerable cities and low-income communities.