Characterizing the speed and paths of shared bicycles in Lyon

Thanks to numerical data gathered by Lyon's shared bicycling system V\'elo'v, we are able to analyze 11.6 millions bicycle trips, leading to the first robust characterization of urban bikers' behaviors. We show that bicycles outstrip cars in downtown Lyon, by combining high speed and short paths.These data also allows us to calculate V\'elo'v fluxes on all streets, pointing to interesting locations for bike paths

Cartographie des pratiques du Vélo’v : le regard de physiciens et d’informaticiens

L'étude des données de location du système de vélos en libre service Vélo'v, installé dans Lyon et Villeurbanne, amène à poser des questions de méthodes quand il s'agit, en tant qu'informaticien ou physicien et non de géographe ou de cartographe, de trouver comment faire des cartes représentant ces données. Partant d'une discussion sur les masses de données numérisées accessibles aux scientifiques, tout particulièrement pour des études en sciences sociales, des outils utiles pour manipuler sont évoqués. L'exemple de l'analyse des déplacements en Vélo'v permet d'illustrer pourquoi et comment réaliser des cartes qui décrivent des résultats sur les types de déplacements effectués ou sur la disponibilité des vélos ou des places aux stations. Une conclusion traite des pratiques, en partie nouvelles, liées aux masses de données.From the study of the data of Vélo'v, the Bicycle Sharing System of Lyon and Villeurbanne, several issues are discussed about how researchers from computer science and physics, and not from geography or cartography, were lead to draw maps representing these data. First, the diversity of available digital data is shown, especially for studies related to social or human studies. Some tools to manipulate them are discussed. The example of the Vélo'v data of trips illustrates why and how to propose maps describing features about the movements made with these bikes, or about the availability of bikes or free stands at stations. This practice gives way to a conclusion that suggests a whole new meaning related to the mass of data

Exploring gendered cycling behaviours within a large-scale behavioural data-set

Analysing over 10 million journeys made by members of London’s Cycle Hire Scheme, we find that female customers’ usage characteristics are demonstrably different from those of male customers. Usage at weekends and within London’s parks characterises women’s journeys, whereas for men, a commuting function is more clearly identified. Some of this variation is explained by geodemographic differences and by an atypical period of usage during the first 3 months after the scheme’s launch. Controlling for each of these variables brings some convergence between men and women. However, many differences are preserved. Studying the spatio-temporal context under which journeys are made, we find that women’s journeys are highly spatially structured. Even when making utilitarian cycle trips, routes that involve large, multi-lane roads are comparatively rare, and instead female cyclists preferentially select areas of the city associated with slower traffic streets and with cycle routes slightly offset from major roads

Modeling shared vehicle systems with application to e-vehicles

This research project aims to model shared vehicle systems at strategic and tactical levels. The objective is to obtain a simple model that establishes the existing trade-offs between the agency costs (i.e. vehicle fleet, stations, repositioning costs) and the user costs (i.e. access and wait). This would allow optimizing the main strategic and tactic variables of the system (i.e. strategic: total number of vehicles, density of stations; tactic: size of each station, occupancy at each station after a complete rebalancing period)

To drive or not to drive? A simple evolutionary model

Car use is an increasingly serious problem in many modern cities because of polluting emissions, noise, accidents and congestion. To examine this issue, this paper analyzes the individual choice between taking the car and using alternative transport modes (e.g. walking, cycling, taking the bus etc...) in the presence of cars' negative impacts on alternative transport modes. Using a simple evolutionary model, we show the existence of suboptimal Nash equilibria characterized by the widespread use of cars and discuss the effects of simple transport policies that reduce cars' negative impacts on alternative transport modes

To drive or not to drive? A simple evolutionary model

Car use is an increasingly serious problem in many modern cities because of polluting emissions, noise, accidents and congestion. To examine this issue, this paper analyzes the individual choice between taking the car and using alternative transport modes (e.g. walking, cycling, taking the bus etc...) in the presence of cars' negative impacts on alternative transport modes. Using a simple evolutionary model, we show the existence of suboptimal Nash equilibria characterized by the widespread use of cars and discuss the effects of simple transport policies that reduce cars' negative impacts on alternative transport modes

The market economy of trips

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-62).Mobility on Demand (MOD) systems allow users to pick-up and drop-off vehicles (bikes, automobiles) ubiquitously in a network of parking stations. Asymmetric demand patterns cause unbalanced fleet allocation decreasing level of service. Current redistribution policies are complex to plan and typically cost more that the usage revenues of the system. The Market Economy of Trips (MET) explores a new operation model based on a double auction market where cost-minimizing users are both buyers and sellers of trip rights while profit-maximizing stations are competing auctioneers that trade them. Trip rights are priced relatively to the inventory needs of origin and destination stations. A theory, a game, and a model are presented to explore equilibrium and limits of efficiency of MET under different demand patterns and income distribution.by Dimitris Papanikolaou.S.M

The psychology of cycle commuting

The daily commute is a significant part of the working day in terms of its potential impact on people’s health, well-being, and performance. Commuting by motorised transport associated with adverse effects on congestion, air-pollution, poor public health, and environmental harm. Encouraging more people to switch to modes of commuting that minimise harm and promote benefits should be the goal of employers, communities, and governments wanting to tackle the problems associated with commuting by car, bus, or train. This research focuses on cycle commuting as both a solution for contemporary problems caused by prevailing commuting habits and a source of significant benefits for people at work, employers, and communities. A systematic literature review was conducted to establish the scope of previous research investigating the determinants of cycle commuting. The review identified studies across a range of disciplines including transport planning, facilities management, and environmental science. The studies explored physical/objective determinants of cycle commuting rates such as infrastructure, terrain, trip qualities, facilities, and incentives. Psychological determinants of people’s decision to ride to work were only included in a small minority of the studies identified by the review. The conclusions of the systematic review informed the subsequent stage of research, which specifically examined the psychological determinants of cycle commuting. The focus of the study was to understand why people adopt this mode choice while many do not, even in the context of access to the same infrastructure, facilities, terrain, and incentives. The research adopted an exploratory approach in order to establish a model of psychological determinants and their interaction with physical/objective determinants. A thematic analysis of data from research interviews with regular cycle commuters articulated three themes, which were used as a basis of a psychological model using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to describe the process by which people adopt cycle commuting as a sustained behaviour. The research contributes to our understanding of the psychological factors within commuting behaviours and provides a model which can be tested empirically as a means for encouraging behaviour change within interventions at the personal, organisational, and policy level