Only 5% of bikeshare trips are by people who would otherwise use their personal bike

[Cirrus]

http://washcycle.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8345198c369e2016302ba61a1970d-800wi

Article w/ supporting data & explanation. (http://www.thewashcycle.com/2012/03/55-of-cabi-trips-would-have-been-non-active-without-bikesharing.html)

Another article. (http://streetsblog.net/2012/03/26/capital-bikeshare-both-replaces-and-promotes-transit-trips/)

[ardecila]

Of course. Why would you pay to ride a clunky bike plastered with ads when you have a much nicer, free one sitting at home?

[dgreen]

Of course. Why would you pay to ride a clunky bike plastered with ads when you have a much nicer, free one sitting at home?

Makes you wonder what those 5% are doing.

[Cirrus]

Of course. Why would you pay to ride a clunky bike plastered with ads when you have a much nicer, free one sitting at home?Because you can pick a bikeshare bike up and drop it off wherever you want. Because you don't have to worry about locking it up, or carrying it on the train, or lugging it up/down the steps to your apartment. Because you don't have to plan ahead in order to ride anywhere you want, any time. Because you don't have to worry even a little bit about maintenance, and because you won't be left up a creek without a paddle if something

The point is NOT that people who own their own bikes aren't using bikeshare. They are, in very large numbers. The point is that bikeshare is creating lots of new bike trips. It is turning trips that were not going to be made by bicycle into bicycle trips. People who used to bike once or twice a month on personal bikes are now biking that often every week using bikeshare.

The point is that the hardcore cyclists who care about having a titanium alloy frame and turn up their noses at "clunky bikes plastered with ads" are not the target audience, and are not needed for bikeshare to succeed tremendously as an urban transportation mode.

[ardecila]

The point is NOT that people who own their own bikes aren't using bikeshare.

The thread title is a little misleading, then... it would be better to say "95% of bikeshare trips are by non-cyclists" or something.

[Rizzo]

Bikeshares are also good for visitors in town that want to ride around. When I had a friend visiting, we used to the bikeshare system in Chicago.

[urbanactivist]

Bikeshares are also good for visitors in town that want to ride around. When I had a friend visiting, we used to the bikeshare system in Chicago.

Agreed. It was pretty amazing to use in Paris. I love how easy it was to detach and re-attach the bike... magnets!!! :tup:

[mthd]

Or, put another way - 78% of bike share trips would have been by foot, public transit, or not at all.

I'm not sure this is a good thing. Virtually nobody is getting out of their cars for this.

[Fresh]

Bikeshare schemes are great but they're failing here in Australia because our miserable nanny state government makes it compulsory to wear a helment when riding one. Not surprisingly, tourists and occasional users don't carry helmets around with them, sad.

[turigamot]

Or, put another way - 78% of bike share trips would have been by foot, public transit, or not at all.

I'm not sure this is a good thing. Virtually nobody is getting out of their cars for this.

These are numbers among Arlingtonians. Most Arlingtonians are probably not driving when making trips within Arlington and DC, anyway. Now, if we had numbers for tourists, I believe the number for cars would be somewhat higher. No way of telling for sure, but even 9% of tourists getting out of their cars would make a pretty big impact.

[mthd]

These are numbers among Arlingtonians. Most Arlingtonians are probably not driving when making trips within Arlington and DC, anyway. Now, if we had numbers for tourists, I believe the number for cars would be somewhat higher. No way of telling for sure, but even 9% of tourists getting out of their cars would make a pretty big impact.

... but it's not 9% of tourists, it's 9% of bike share users. this confirms to some extent something i've always wondered about - do bikes replace cars or feet?

people often justify the impact of urban cyclists by claiming that they're getting cars off the road. this study says they aren't in any meaningful numbers. they're turning pedestrians and transit riders into cyclists.

[Cirrus]

I'm not sure this is a good thing. Virtually nobody is getting out of their cars for this.Not so much for individual trips, because the sorts of trips you'd make by bike are already difficult to make by car (especially factoring in parking). But bikesharing makes car-free transportation in general much much easier, which makes it easier for people to live car-free (or car-light) lifestyles.

This gets at the difference between transit systems that focus on "improving mobility for city people" versus transit systems that focus on "reducing highway congestion". Bikesharing is the former.

[mthd]

Not so much for individual trips, because the sorts of trips you'd make by bike are already difficult to make by car (especially factoring in parking). But bikesharing makes car-free transportation in general much much easier, which makes it easier for people to live car-free (or car-light) lifestyles.

This gets at the difference between transit systems that focus on "improving mobility for city people" versus transit systems that focus on "reducing highway congestion". Bikesharing is the former.

that makes perfect sense. unfortunately people (obviously not you) are constantly touting the superiority of bikes as an urban transit mode because it 'gets people out of their cars...' the truth is, it lets people who don't feel like using transit (or need to get there quicker than they can walk) avoid doing so.

full disclosure - i make the vast majority of my trips within the city by foot or transit. i use our car when going somewhere not well served by transit, e.g. the suburbs, certain retail destinations, etc. i am highly skeptical of urban cyclists after having lived through almost 20 years of their political and personal self-righteousness, critical mass, etc.