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The contradictions of bike-share benefits, purposes and outcomes

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  • Médard de Chardon, Cyrille

Abstract

Bicycle Sharing Systems (BSS) are now ubiquitous due to their plausible environmental and social benefits promoted by municipalities, operators and technology providers. Recent practices and literature however undermines many suggested benefits of BSS showing they mostly facilitate transport for already privileged demographics in increasingly exclusive urban cores. Additionally, case study performance estimates in Europe and North America commonly show low usage rates further undermining promoted benefits. In the context of urban transports existing social injustice, energy consumption and land use, which cannot be sustained, this work, drawing on data analysis, interviews and literature and media review in North America and Europe, presents how existing BSS deployments have intrinsic flaws. These convenient luxuries are typically not effective or less so than familiar, proven and less technologically innovative opportunities at achieving greater cycling modal share.

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  • Médard de Chardon, Cyrille, 2019. "The contradictions of bike-share benefits, purposes and outcomes," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 401-419.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:121:y:2019:i:c:p:401-419
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2019.01.031
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