by Innovative Mobility Research | May 21, 2015 |
By Steve Elbow | The Capital Times May 19, 2015 Madison BCycle, Trek’s local bikeshare program, is racking up more and more rides per year. In 2014, the program logged 104,274 total rides, up from 63,325 in 2012. But who’s actually using those red bikes? Data compiled by the bikeshare program suggests that BCycle riders are generally white and hold a college degree — and they make a pretty good living. That’s probably not unexpected, given that UW campus BCycle stations are the busiest in the city. But it’s also consistent with data from other cities, reported by Vox, that show that bikeshare programs are disproportionately utilized by the well-heeled, despite the fact that more of the people who depend on bicycles are low-income. Of respondents, 86 percent described themselves as white, and about 87 percent had a college degree. Genderwise, they were split right down the middle. Thirty percent were between 25 and 34 years of age, and 25 percent were between 35 and 44, meaning that over half were between 25 and 44. Seventy-four percent were employed full-time, and 12 percent were full-time students. To read the full article, click...
by mattchristensen00 | May 17, 2015 |
Authors: Susan Shaheen, Ph.D., Matthew Christensen, Isabel Viegas de Lima Published: May 2015 Abstract: This report examines two groups of individuals who are inherently not well understood to Bay Area Bike Share and other public bikesharing operators: casual users and non-users (i.e., individuals who examine the system but choose not to use it). Using publicly available data from Bay Area Bike Share’s website, researchers conducted a preliminary analysis to determine when and where intercept surveyors should be stationed. Two survey instruments were tailored specifically to casual and non-users. From the survey instruments, the researchers were able to glean information regarding demographics, socioeconomics, common trip purposes, reasons for choosing or not choosing to use Bay Area Bike Share, and other related data. Findings suggest that Bay Area Bike Share casual users are similar to annual members in educational attainment, income, and race but they differ in trip purpose, trip duration, and home city. Furthermore, researchers found that the majority of casual users did not fully understand the pricing structure, specifically relating to the fees applied to trips over 30 minutes. The pricing structure and the limited distribution of bikesharing stations were the two most frequently cited issues with the system by users and non-users. Overall, casual user satisfaction with BABS was relatively high....
