Bicycle train intermodality: Effects of demography, station characteristics and the built environment

As public transport patronage levels increase worldwide, an issue many cities face is providing adequate infrastructure capacity for station access modes. A cost effective solution is to encourage the use of the bicycle for the ‘first mile’ link, particularly for rail commuters who currently drive but are within a cycling distance of the station. However, to promote cycling as a station access mode, a better understanding of the associated correlates are needed. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by identifying factors associated with increased rates of bicycle access to stations in Melbourne, Australia. Bicycle access counts at 207 metropolitan rail stations were analysed and factors related to the rail station catchment areas (demographic data and built/natural environment) and rail station characteristics were considered. Visual representation of the demographic and built/natural environment characteristics and eight generalized linear models were developed to identify significant factors. A higher number of cyclists riding to the station were associated with a range of factors including built/natural environments: low sloping terrain; greater proportion of low speed local roads, diverse land use mix and increased bicycle crash count density. Station attributes: availability of secure bicycle parking facilities, increased train patronage, higher train frequency during the morning peak period and demographic characteristics: increasing median age were also correlated with a growth in bicycle access counts to stations.