Latin American bike sharing ecosystem overview: from data collection to implementation model portraits

Abstract

The growth in the number of Bike Sharing Systems (BSSs) has sparked interest in their institutional arrangements, business models and operational characteristics. When compared to experiences developed in North America, Europe, and Asia, knowledge about implementing and operating BSSs in Latin America is still limited to specific case studies. Thus, this article aims to make an exploratory analysis of the characteristics of BSSs implemented in Latin American cities. To do so, the Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) was applied, using data from the systems in operation during the month of December 2019, available on an online platform called LABIKS. The application of MCA proved to be an efficient and objective methodology to compare the various experiences of implementing BSSs in Latin America. Although countries share several challenges in common, the context of the region is very diverse, which justifies the different models of management and operation found in this research. Furthermore, results show significant differences in the implementation and expansion between dock-based and dockless systems in Latin America, highlighting challenges and possibilities for promoting this resilient and sustainable mode of transportation.