Heat, hills and the high season : a model-based comparative analysis of spatio-temporal factors affecting shared bicycle use in three Southern European Islands

Bicycle sharing systems (BSSs) have been implemented in cities worldwide in an attempt to promote cycling. Despite exhibiting characteristics considered to be barriers to cycling, such as hot summers, hilliness and car-oriented infrastructure, Southern European island cities and tourist destinations Limassol (Cyprus), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) and the Valletta conurbation (Malta) are all experiencing the implementation of BSSs and policies to promote cycling. In this study, a year of trip data and secondary datasets are used to analyze dock-based BSS usage in the three case-study cities. How land use, socio-economic, network and temporal factors influence BSS use at station locations, both as an origin and as a destination, was examined using bivariate correlation analysis and through the development of linear mixed models for each case study. Bivariate correlations showed significant positive associations with the number of cafes and restaurants, vicinity to the beach or promenade and the percentage of foreign population at the BSS station locations in all cities. A positive relation with cycling infrastructure was evident in Limassol and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, but not in Malta, as no cycling infrastructure is present in the island’s conurbation, where the BSS is primarily operational. Elevation had a negative association with BSS use in all three cities. In Limassol and Malta, where seasonality in weather patterns is strongest, a negative effect of rainfall and a positive effect of higher temperature were observed. Although there was a positive association between BSS use and the number of visiting tourists in Limassol and Malta, this is predominantly explained through the multi-collinearity with weather factors rather than by intensive use of the BSS by tourists. The linear mixed models showed more fine-grained results and explained differences in BSS use at stations, including differences for station use as an origin and as a destination. The insights from the correlation analysis and linear mixed models can be used to inform policies promoting cycling and BSS use and support sustainable mobility policies in the case-study cities and cities with similar characteristics.peer-reviewe

Classifying bicycle sharing system use in Southern European island cities : cycling for transport or leisure?

Bicycle sharing systems (BSS) have been implemented in cities worldwide in an attempt to promote cycling. Cycling as a mode of transport has the potential to provide transport alternatives for those marginalized by car-based mobility, to reduce traffic related diseases and injuries, noise and air pollution, and to promote an active lifestyle and improve public health. The three Southern European island cities included in this research, Limassol (Cyprus), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) and the Valletta conurbation (Malta), exhibit characteristics considered as barriers to cycling, such as hot summers and high humidity, hilliness and car-oriented culture and infrastructure. Thus far, cycling modal share is low: under 1%. However, bicycle sharing systems and policies promoting cycling have emerged in these cities too. In this research a year of trip data, shared by the BSS operators, is used to analyse the use of the BSS on a system and station level. An analysis of the origin-destination matrices highlights spatial patterns, and the assessment of different types of use captures user behaviour. Particular attention is paid to the influence of tourism on the system use, by analysing the spatial influence of tourist accommodation, points of interests and land use, by classifying BSS trips carried out for leisure or for transport, and by assessing the temporal influence of the tourist season. The comparative analysis between the three cities shows that despite sharing commonalities, the cities exhibit differences in their shared bicycle use.peer-reviewe

Examining spatio-temporal trip patterns of bicycle sharing systems in Southern European island cities

Bicycle sharing systems (BSS) have been implemented in cities worldwide in an attempt to promote cycling. Analysing BSS usage in ‘starter’ cycling cities in Southern Europe (Limassol, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Malta) can aid in understanding how BSS use and cycling can be promoted in such a context. A year of trip data is used to understand to what extent the BSS is characterized by tourist use or by local residents, trips are classified based on trip type, trip duration and diurnal and seasonal usage patterns. An analysis of the origin-destination matrices highlights spatial patterns and temporal dynamics, and analysis of the spatial coverage is used to calculate what percentage of the city's population is served by the BSS. The comparative analysis shows that despite sharing commonalities, the cities exhibit differences in BSS use: while in Limassol BSS use is mainly for leisure, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Malta there is more cycling for transport. Investing in connections between the BSS, public transport, points-of-interests and cycling infrastructure can encourage more cycling. In all cities there is scope to integrate the BSS with public transport and promote the service amongst tourists and visitors.peer-reviewe

Trip and Personal Characteristics towards the Intention to Cycle in Larnaca, Cyprus: An EFA-SEM Approach

Mobility is one of the most important and challenging aspects that influence climate change, air quality, and especially the quality of citizens&rsquo lives. Therefore, creating sustainable transport solutions makes way for different modes of transport such as the bicycle, which is continuously gaining more supporters, due to the health, economic, and environmental benefits that it provides. However, cyclists are facing several barriers (e.g., lack of infrastructure), a fact that keeps away commuters from using a bicycle for their daily trips. Investigating the factors that reflect on the commuters&rsquo intention to use a bicycle is a sine qua non for the promotion of sustainable mobility. Therefore, the objective of this paper is the investigation of the factors that prevent residents with low experience or with no cultural/lifestyle background in regards to cycling from cycling. The case study of the city of Larnaca (Cyprus) is deployed by exploring the socio-demographic and trip characteristics of the city&rsquo s residents and their relation with the intention to cycle. A two-step approach is developed, namely Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Despite the promotion of cycling that education is attempting to do (successfully), other factors (such as age, distance, and time) appear to prevent Larnaca&rsquo s residents from cycling. Among the actions that local authorities should undertake is that of safety prevention of the vulnerable users of the road network. This group includes elderly people, who need major encouraging interventions by local policymakers and stakeholders. Document type: Articl

Urban Development and Transportation: Investigating Spatial Performance Indicators of 12 European Union Coastal Regions

Urbanization is one of the most dominant economic and social changes of the 20th century. This phenomenon brings about rapid urban development, which is inextricably linked to transport development. In order to understand this relationship, it is important to analyze the spatial spillover effects of the phenomenon in the urban environment. This study analyzes the spatial performance, in terms of urban development, of 12 European Union regions from five European countries with coastal areas by incorporating spatial data such as length of road network, population distribution, land uses, and other factors. Key performance indicators have been developed for evaluating the structural development model of the regions (e.g., dense or sprawl development). In addition, the incorporation of spatial spillover effects in the evaluation of the regions was conducted by the extended spatial data envelopment analysis (SDEA) method. The results of SDEA identified the best and worst-performing regions in terms of urban growth. Finally, this study implements a target-setting approach where under-performing regions can best perform. Based on the target-setting approach, local authorities can set realistic targets for improving the structural model that the regions are following

Trip and Personal Characteristics towards the Intention to Cycle in Larnaca, Cyprus: An EFA-SEM Approach

Mobility is one of the most important and challenging aspects that influence climate change, air quality, and especially the quality of citizens’ lives. Therefore, creating sustainable transport solutions makes way for different modes of transport such as the bicycle, which is continuously gaining more supporters, due to the health, economic, and environmental benefits that it provides. However, cyclists are facing several barriers (e.g., lack of infrastructure), a fact that keeps away commuters from using a bicycle for their daily trips. Investigating the factors that reflect on the commuters’ intention to use a bicycle is a sine qua non for the promotion of sustainable mobility. Therefore, the objective of this paper is the investigation of the factors that prevent residents with low experience or with no cultural/lifestyle background in regards to cycling from cycling. The case study of the city of Larnaca (Cyprus) is deployed by exploring the socio-demographic and trip characteristics of the city’s residents and their relation with the intention to cycle. A two-step approach is developed, namely Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Despite the promotion of cycling that education is attempting to do (successfully), other factors (such as age, distance, and time) appear to prevent Larnaca’s residents from cycling. Among the actions that local authorities should undertake is that of safety prevention of the vulnerable users of the road network. This group includes elderly people, who need major encouraging interventions by local policymakers and stakeholders