E-Bikes

Potential for Increasing Health-Beneficial Participation in Cycling for Transportation: A “Stages of Change” Perspective on Barcelona’s Bike Sharing Program

Nazelle, A De
Curto, A
Donaire-Gonzalez, D
Mendez, MA
Daniel Rodriguez
2013
The multiple benefits of active transportation, from non-communicable disease prevention to climate change mitigation, have led to increasing interests in developing multi-disciplinary health impact assessments (HIA) of walking and cycling strategies. However a fundamental uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of policies to change travel and physical activity behaviour remains. Our study aimed to assess the ability of bike sharing programs to facilitate contemplation and change in individuals to begin cycling for travel purposes. Methods: Participants living and working or attending school...

Determinants of Bicycle Commuting Propensity: Findings from a Questionnaire-Based Investigation in Barcelona, Spain

Cole-Hunter, T
Donaire-Gonzalez, D
Curto, A
Mendez, MA
Garcia-Aymerich, J
Jerrett, M
Daniel Rodriguez
Nazelle, A De
Nieuwenhuijsen, MJ
2013
The current study (of the TAPAS project) aimed to ascertain which factors, both psychological (mental) and physical (practical), were acting as the greatest determinants for bicycle commuting propensity of the working (or studying) population of Barcelona, Spain. Methods: Adults [N=795; 51% female, 87% nationals. Mean ± standard deviation: age = 37 ± 10, body mass index = 23.5 ± 3.3] who commuted to work or school in Barcelona responded to a comprehensive questionnaire (via telephone) concerning their commute activity and attitude. Respondents were categorised as either frequent or infrequent...

Costs for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Infrastructure Improvements

Bushell, MA
Poole, BW
Zegeer, CV
Daniel Rodriguez
2013

Costs for pedestrian and bicycle safety infrastructure often vary greatly from city to city and state to state. This document (and associated database) is intended to provide meaningful estimates of infrastructure costs by collecting up-to-date cost information for pedestrian and bicycle treatments from states and cities across the country. Using this information, researchers, engineers, planners, and the general public can better understand the cost of pedestrian and bicycle treatments in their communities and make informed decisions about which infrastructure enhancements are best suited...

Development of Pedestrian & Bicycle Transportation Course Modules.

Daniel Rodriguez
Turochy, R
Sundstrom, C
Sandt, L
2014
According to a 2012 report by the Alliance for Biking and Walking, crashes involving bicyclists and/or pedestrians account for almost 15% of all traffic crashes. The states that house STRIDE consortium universities, including Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi, are among the top seven states with the highest pedestrian and bicyclist fatality rates in the nation. Training the next generation of planners and engineers to consider pedestrian and ...

Improving California’s Bay Area Rapid Transit District Connectivity and Access with Segway Human Transporter and Other Low-Speed Mobility Devices

Susan Shaheen
Rodier, Caroline
Eaken, Amanda
2005

To evaluate the potential for low-speed modes to improve transit access, the EasyConnect field test will offer shared-use Segway Human Transporters (HT), electric bicycles, and bicycles linked to a Bay Area Rapid Transit District station and surrounding employment centers in California. Because of safety concerns, research was conducted to understand the risks associated with these modes and potential risk factors. A review of the safety literature indicates that user error is the major cause of low speed mode crashes, and significant risk factors are poor surface conditions and...

Bikesharing in Europe, the Americas, and Asia: Past, Present and Future

Susan Shaheen
Guzman, Stacey
Zhang, Hua
2010

Growing concerns over global motorization and climate change have led to increasing interest in sustainable transportation alternatives, such as bikesharing (the shared use of a bicycle fleet). Since 1965, bikesharing has grown across the globe on four continents including: Europe, North America, South America, and Asia (including Australia). Today, there are approximately 100 bikesharing programs operating in an estimated 125 cities around the world with over 139,300 bicycles. Bikesharing’s evolution is categorized into three generations: 1) White Bikes (or Free Bike Systems); 2) Coin-...

Public Bikesharing in North America: Early Operator Understanding and Emerging Trends

Susan Shaheen
Cohen, Adam
Martin, Elliot, PhD
2013

Public bikesharing—the shared use of a bicycle fleet by the public—is an innovative mobility strategy that has recently emerged in major North American cities. Bikesharing systems typically position bicycles throughout an urban environment, among a network of docking stations, for immediate access. Approximately five years ago, information technology (or IT)-based bikesharing services began to emerge in North America. Between 2007 and March 2013, 28 IT-based programs have been deployed–24 are operational, two are temporarily suspended, and two are now defunct in the United States (U.S.)...

Bicycle Evolution in China: From the 1900s to the Present

Zhang, Hua
Susan Shaheen
Chen, Xingpeng
2013

This article examines four phases in bicycle evolution in China from initial entry and slow growth (1900s to 1978), to rapid growth (1978 to 1995), bicycle use reduction (1995 to 2002), and policy diversification (2002 to present). Two bicycle innovations, electric bikes, and public bikesharing (the shared use of a bicycle fleet), are also explored in this article. Electric bikes could provide a transitional mode on the pathway to bicycle and public transportation integration or to small battery electric cars. Four lessons have been learned from China’s electric bike experience relevant to...

Understanding the Diffusion of Public Bikesharing Systems: Evidence from Europe and North America

Parkes, Stephen
Mardsen, Greg
Susan Shaheen
Cohen, Adam
2013

Since the mid-2000s, public bikesharing (also known as ‘‘bike hire’’) has developed and spread into a new form of mobility in cities across the globe. This paper presents an analysis of the recent increase in the number of public bikesharing systems. Bikesharing is the shared use of a bicycle fleet, which is accessible to the public and serves as a form of public transportation. The initial system designs were pioneered in Europe and, after a series of technological innovations, appear to have matured into a system experiencing widespread adoption. There are also signs that the policy of...

Public Bikesharing and Modal Shift Behavior: A Comparative Study of Early Bikesharing Systems in North America

Susan Shaheen
Martin, Elliot, PhD
Cohen, Adam
2013

Public bikesharing—the shared use of a bicycle fleet by the public—is an innovative mobility strategy that has recently emerged in major North American cities. Bikesharing systems typically position bicycles throughout an urban environment, among a network of docking stations, for immediate access. This paper discusses the modal shift that results from individuals participating in four public bikesharing systems in North America. The authors conducted an online survey (n =10,661 total sample), between November 2011 and January 2012, with members of four major bikesharing organizations (...