Does docked bike-sharing usage complement or overlap public transport? the case of Brussels, Belgium

This paper complements the existing literature on Bike Share Schemes (BSS) by investigating their use from a spatiotemporal perspective to assess their relationship with public transport (PT). We address these questions through the case of Brussels and its long-standing docked BSS 'Villo!'. Our study analyses comprehensive (consecutive 12 months) and disaggregated (station level) data on rentals and returns and finds that Villo! is used mostly in dense (although not all) districts also well served by PT. However, temporal structures suggest Villo! overtakes PT at night in vibrant districts and possibly in selected districts with lower PT services over weekends. In addition, Villo! stations at key PT hubs usually do not show specific temporal patterns, which suggests intermodality may work at all times during PT operations. There could be an evening peak effect combined with the Brussels' topography, but this needs to be confirmed by on-site surveys.

Automated summary

This study complements existing literature by investigating the relationship between Bike Share Schemes (BSS) and public transport (PT) from a spatiotemporal perspective. Using the case of Brussels and its docked BSS 'Villo!', the study finds that Villo! is mostly used in dense districts with good PT services, but it overtakes PT at night in vibrant districts and possibly in selected districts with lower PT services on weekends.