Spatio-temporal patterns of a Public Bicycle Sharing Program: the effect of weather and calendar events

Abstract

Public Bicycle Sharing Programs (PBSPs) have become a prominent feature across city spaces worldwide. In less than a decade, PBSPs have grown from a small number of European cities to include five continents and in excess of 200 schemes. Despite the rapid rise of this new transport opportunity, there has been limited research on the underlying dynamics of these schemes, arguably reflecting a lack of detailed data available to researchers. The current paper redresses the observed deficit using trip level data from Brisbane's 'CityCycle', the largest PBSP in Australia. These data provide an opportunity to investigate the spatio-temporal dynamics of a large PBSP system, specifically the effects of weather and calendar events on the geographic and temporal patterning of public bicycle use. Employing novel spatial analytical techniques we explore the impact of site specific weather conditions and calendar events on the spatio-temporal dynamics of the case study PBSP. We conclude by highlighting how the results from such analyses may form part of an evidence base for policy makers, providing insights into 'best practice' and potentially informing future PBSP expansions to further enhance uptake of this non-motorised urban transport mode.