Examining Equity in Accessibility to Bike Share

Public bicycle share programs (PBSPs) can play a role in advancing transportation equity if they make bicycling more accessible to disadvantaged populations. In Ontario, Hamilton Bike Share expanded its program in 2018 by adding twelve “equity” stations with the explicit objective of increasing access for under-serviced neighborhoods. In this case study, researchers investigate differentials in accessibility to stations using a balanced floating catchment area approach and compare accessibility with and without the equity stations. They analyzed population interpolated to small cells to better reflect walking to a station and conduct a sensitivity analysis at several walking time thresholds. They then reaggregate the estimated accessibility by income groups for further analysis. The findings indicate that equity stations increased accessibility for the serviced population at every threshold examined, but the increase was relatively modest especially for the population in the bottom 20% of median total household income.

Read more in this BBSP article on the case study.