Roadmap for free-floating bikeshare research and practice in North America

ABSTRACT

The deployment of smartphone-operated, non-station-based bicycle fleets (“dockless” or “free-floating” bikeshare) represents a new generation of bikesharing. Users locate bikes in these free-floating systems using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and lock bikes in place at their destinations. In this paper, we review current free-floating bikesharing systems in North America and discuss priorities for future research and practice. Since launching in 2017, free-floating bikeshare has expanded rapidly to encompass 200+ systems operating 40,000+ bikes within 150+ cities. In contrast with previous systems, free-floating systems operate almost exclusively using commercial “for-profit” models, amidst concerns of financial sustainability. Governance for these systems is in early stages and can include operating fees, fleet size caps, safety requirements, parking restrictions, data sharing, and equity obligations. We identify research and practice gaps within the themes of usage, equity, sharing resources, business model, and context. While some existing bikesharing literature translates to free-floating systems, novel topics arise due to the ubiquity, fluidity, and business models of these new systems. Systems have numerous obstacles to overcome for long-term sustainability, including barriers common to station-based systems: limited supportive infrastructure, equity, theft or vandalism, and funding. Other unique obstacles arise in free-floating bikeshare around parking, sidewalk right of ways, varied bicycle types, and data sharing. This review offers background in and critical reflection on the rapidly evolving free-floating bikeshare landscape, including priorities for future research and practice. If concerns can be overcome, free-floating bikeshare may provide unprecedented opportunities to bypass congested streets, encourage physical activity, and support urban sustainability.

KEYWORDS:

• Bikeshare
• free-floating
• dockless
• bicycle
• active transportation

Acknowledgements

This project was funded by a research grant through the Better Bike Share Partnership a collaboration funded by the JPB Foundation to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. The partners include The City of Philadelphia, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials and the PeopleForBikes Foundation. SJM was funded in part by the National Library of Medicine (Grant 1K99LM012868). MW is supported by a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Award (#16502). The Urban Health Collaborative and Dornsife School of Public Health supported this research through their investment in urban health research at Drexel University. The authors thank Maura Adams for her assistance gathering data and literature for this paper. The authors also acknowledge Joel Miller (Seattle Department of Transportation) and Alon Bassok (Washington State Transportation Center) for their expertise with the Seattle bikeshare pilot.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Jana A. Hirsch http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3355-5558

Joshua Stratton-Rayner http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2281-3718

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research: [Grant Number #16502]; Better Bike Share Partnership (People for Bikes): [Grant Number 2018 Research Grant]; U.S. National Library of Medicine: [Grant Number 1K99LM012868].