How does bike-sharing prompt the modal shift from cars to public transit?
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2025
Subject Area
place - asia, place - urban, mode - bike, mode - bus, mode - car, mode - subway/metro, planning - integration, planning - surveys, policy - congestion, policy - environment, ridership - behaviour, ridership - mode choice
Keywords
bike-sharing, private car, public transit
Abstract
Transforming individual motorized travel into public transit travel is one of the effective ways to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce carbon emissions. Studies and practices have shown that bike-sharing can reduce private car travel by connecting with public transit, but the potential mechanism remains unclear. This study employs evolutionary game theory, simulation technology, and empirical models to theoretically depict the dynamic evolution of private car owners' travel mode under the combined effect of bike-sharing and public transit, and empirically explores the influencing mechanism of their travel modal shift behavior (from private cars to public transit integrated with bike-sharing) via a case study of Beijing, using data from official reports, mapping platform reports, and questionnaires. Results show that private car owners' shift willingness and internal values are fundamental to their modal shift behavior, while bike-sharing usefulness is a trigger. Bike-sharing exerts positive effects when the time cost it saves exceeds the sum of monetary and search costs. Additionally, the connection distance between bike-sharing and public transit has a significant threshold effect, with the most pronounced advantages when exceeding 1.5 km. Bike-sharing complements rail transit more strongly than buses. However, cooperation incentives for bike-sharing and public transit, and private car control policies are not always effective; weak incentives and controls may face a “failure dilemma”. This study provides theoretical explanations and empirical evidence for bike-sharing's role in promoting shifts from private cars to public transit and offers policy implications for integrating public transit and bike-sharing to alleviate urban traffic congestion.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Yao, D., Zhang, C., & Li, J. (2025). How does bike-sharing prompt the modal shift from cars to public transit?. Transport Policy, 103862.
Comments
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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0967070X