Lead with the Helmet

Bikesharing systems offer access to a shared network of bicycles deployed on public streets. Present-day systems use information technology to manage user interactions, and to manage the fleet of bicycles. Bikesharing systems can be station-based, in which users access bicycles at kiosks with automatic locks, or free-floating, in which self-locking bicycles are accessed within a geo-fenced area. Bikesharing generally permits point-to-point travel, providing users with flexibility to use the service as a first-mile/last-mile connection or as its own means from origin to destination. Previous research has found that bikesharing both substitutes and complements other forms of transportation. Furthermore, the nature of substitution in part depends on the urban environment in which bikesharing is deployed. In dense, transit-rich urban environments, such as Washington, D.C., Montreal or Toronto, bikesharing tends to serve more as a substitute for public transit than as a complement (though it also fills this role). In many cases, travel by bikesharing is simply faster and cheaper than traveling by bus or metro rail. But in urban regions with less intensive transit, such as in Minneapolis or Salt Lake City (cities with a few light-rail lines), bikesharing serves as more of a complement than a substitute, providing better access and egress to existing public rail and even bus service.