How does land-use and urban form impact bicycle flows: Evidence from the bicyclesharing system (BIXI) in Montreal

摘要

Installed in 2009, BIXI was the first major public bicycle-sharing in Montreal, Canada. The BIXIsystem has been a success, accounting for more than one million trips annually. This success hasincreased the interest in exploring the factors affecting bicycle-sharing flows and usage. Usingdata compiled as minute by minute readings of bicycle availability at all the stations on the BIXIsystem between April and August 2012 this study contributes to literature on bicycle-sharing.We examine the influence of meteorological data, temporal characteristics, bicycleinfrastructure, land use and built environment attributes on arrival and departure flows at thestation level using a multilevel statistical model technique that is replicable for other regions toadopt. The findings allow us to identify factors contributing to increased usage of bicycle-sharingin Montreal and provide recommendations on station size and location decisions. The developedmethodology and findings can be of benefit to city planners and engineers who are designing ormodifying bicycle-sharing systems with the goal of maximizing usage and availability.