Comparing the Travel Behavior of Older Users Between Station-Based and Dockless Bike Sharing Systems

As the population worldwide continues to age, providing improved mobility services for older people becomes increasingly crucial. In recent years, the maturation of bike sharing has led older people to progressively incorporate it into their everyday lives. In this study, station-based bike sharing (SBBS) and dockless bike sharing (DBS) are investigated in relation to older population mobility. This research relies on the fusion of multiple data sources, including SBBS and DBS trip records, point of interest (POI), and meteorological conditions in Nanjing, China. A zero-inflated negative binomial regression model is used to compare the travel behaviors among various age groups with the exposure variable. SBBS outperforms DBS in relation to age equity, while diverse travel behavior patterns are exhibited between the age groups. Although younger users are the majority of users, older users travel more frequently than younger users in bike sharing services. Also, older users are more likely to use shared bikes near the religious and health POIs, as well as in higher population density areas. This study provides beneficial insights into the transport equity and service improvement of bike sharing systems.

Automated summary

As the global population continues to age, the importance of providing improved mobility services for older people becomes increasingly crucial. This study investigates the use of station-based bike sharing (SBBS) and dockless bike sharing (DBS) in relation to older population mobility, using multiple data sources including trip records, point of interest data, and meteorological conditions. The study finds that SBBS outperforms DBS in terms of age equity, and that there are diverse travel behavior patterns among different age groups. Additionally, older users travel more frequently and are more likely to use shared bikes near religious and health points of interest, as well as in higher population density areas. This study provides valuable insights for improving transport equity and service in bike sharing systems.