An exploratory analysis of the trend in the demand for the London bike-sharing system: From London Olympics to Covid-19 pandemic

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on bike-sharing demand and hire time: Evidence from Santander Cycles in London

“…In recent years, several interventions and policy instruments have been devised to reduce the negative externalities of motorised traffic and encourage more people to cycle [ 1 , 2 , 7 ]. Bicycle-sharing is one of the key policy interventions integrated into many urban transportation networks across the world, with the aim of promoting cycling [ 7 , 8 ]. In the past two decades, bike-sharing systems, which allow for flexible and environmentally-friendly travel, have been gaining popularity in many cities around the world.…”

“…Over the last decade, several studies investigated various aspects of bike-sharing schemes [ 2 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 18 – 23 ]. These studies mostly focus on understanding the demand for bike-sharing systems by revealing the impact of built environment, sociodemographic, weather conditions, and policies on bike-sharing services.…”

“…These studies mostly focus on understanding the demand for bike-sharing systems by revealing the impact of built environment, sociodemographic, weather conditions, and policies on bike-sharing services. In fact, multiple factors such as weather conditions and disruptions in public transport services affect the number and duration of cycle hires [ 7 , 8 , 12 , 15 , 16 , 24 – 26 ]. Evidence shows that weather conditions play a key role not only in explaining the demand for bike-sharing systems, but also in explaining the duration of cycle hires.…”

“…Previous studies suggest that, in general, there is a positive relationship between temperature and the number of cycle hires [ 7 , 27 , 28 ]. For example, Morton [ 29 ] and Chibwe et al [ 8 ], found that the demand for bike-sharing systems increases as temperature increases. However, research shows that temperatures exceeding 30 C reduce the demand for bike-sharing systems in some regions [ 7 , 30 ].…”

“…Gebhart and Noland [ 26 ] found that wind speed and humidity had a negative impact on the demand for the Capital bikeshare scheme. Chibwe et al [ 8 ] found that rainfall, wind speed, and humidity were negatively associated with the demand for the London bike-sharing system.…”