Identifying the factors affecting bike-sharing usage and degree of satisfaction in Ningbo, China

PLoS One. 2017 Sep 21;12(9):e0185100. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185100. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

The boom in bike-sharing is receiving growing attention as societies become more aware of the importance of active non-motorized traffic modes. However, the low usage of this transport mode in China raises concerns. The primary objective of this study is to explore factors affecting bike-sharing usage and satisfaction degree of bike-sharing among the bike-sharing user population in China. Data were collected by a questionnaire survey in Ningbo. A bivariate ordered probit (BOP) model was developed to examine simultaneously those factors associated with both bike-sharing usage and satisfaction degree of bike-sharing among users. Marginal effects for contributory factors were calculated to quantify their impacts on the outcomes. The results showed that the BOP model can account for commonly shared unobserved characteristics within usage and satisfaction of bike-sharing. The BOP model results showed that the usage of bike-sharing was affected by gender, household bicycle/e-bike ownership, trip model, travel time, bike-sharing stations location, and users' perception of bike-sharing. The satisfaction degree of bike-sharing was affected by household income, bike-sharing stations location, and users' perception of bike-sharing. It is also found that bike-sharing usage and satisfaction degree are strongly correlated and positive in direction. The results can enhance our comprehension of the factors that affect usage and satisfaction degree of bike-sharing. Based on the results, some suggestions regarding planning, engineering, and public advocacy were discussed to increase the usage of bike-sharing in Ningbo, China.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Bicycling / psychology*
  • Child
  • China
  • Female
  • Geography
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Statistical
  • Perception
  • Sex Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Transportation* / methods
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

The study was sponsored by The Public Technology Application Foundation of Zhejiang Province of China (No. 2016C33256), the Social Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province of China (No.18NDJC107YB), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71701046 & 51508094), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (2017M571644), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. YBJJ1458), the Scientific Innovation Research of College Graduates in Jiangsu Province (No. KYLX_0173).