Susan A. Shaheen, Ph.D., Caroline J. Rodier, Ph.D., and Joshua Seelig
2005
The integration of innovative technologies with traditional modal options in transit oriented developments (TODs) may be the key to providing the kind of high-quality transit service that can effectively compete with the automobile in suburban transit corridors. The EasyConnect II project represents a multi-technology integration of innovative strategies planned to enhance transit use during the development and construction of a suburban TOD at the Pleasant Hill Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District station in the East San Francisco Bay Area. The project team represents a unique...
Susan A. Shaheen, Ph.D. and Caroline Rodier, Ph.D.
2006
The EasyConnect Low-Speed Modes Linked to Transit Planning Project (TO 5113) project represents the integration of innovative strategies to enhance transit use during the development and construction of a suburban transit oriented development at the Pleasant Hill Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District station in the East San Francisco Bay Area. This planning project brings together a unique partnership including small technology businesses, transportation agencies, city and county government, and academia. The project components include the introduction of shared-use low speed mode...
Susan A. Shaheen, Ph.D. and Caroline J. Rodier, Ph.D.
2008
Access from public transit stations to employment and home locations can be a significant barrier to public transportation use in many urban regions, which is also commonly known as the “first and last mile” problem. The EasyConnect field test operated from August 2005 to December 2006 to introduce shared-use electric bicycles, non-motorized bicycles, and Segway® Human Transporters (HTs) to employment centers in and around the Pleasant Hill BART District stations. EasyConnect linked 36 employees of 14 companies at the Contra Costa Centre and Fresenius Medical. Contra Costa Centre...
Susan A. Shaheen, PhD, Caroline Rodier, PhD, Tagan Blake, Jeffrey R. Lidicker, and Elliot Martin
2009
Smart growth policy strategies attempt to control increasing auto travel, congestion, and vehicle emissions by redirecting new development into communities with a high-intensity mix of shopping, jobs, and housing that is served by high-quality modal alternatives to single occupant vehicles. The integration of innovative technologies with traditional modal options in transit-oriented developments (TODs) may be the key to providing the kind of high-quality transit service that can effectively compete with the automobile in suburban transit corridors. A major challenge, however, of such...
Susan A. Shaheen, PhD, Hue Zhang, Elliot Martin, and Stacy Guzman
2010
Over the past 20 years, China has experienced a steady decline in bicycle use. To address this trend, China’s central and local government for urban transportation created Public Transit Priority to encourage public transport initiatives. As part of this effort, the government of the city of Hangzhou launched Hangzhou Public Bicycle in 2008. This service allows members to access a shared fleet of bicycles. As of March 2011, Hangzhou Public Bicycle operated 60,600 bicycles with 2,416 fixed stations in eight core districts. To understand factors leading to bikesharing adoption and...
Susan A. Shaheen, Ph.D., Madonna Camel, and Meera Velu
2011
Bikesharing, the short-term rental of a shared fleet of bicycles, is one strategy to improve the environment, air quality, and community health. This study, sponsored by the California Department of Transportation, explores the feasibility of an employee bikesharing program and includes a literature review on bikesharing projects, a description of the Caltrans District 4 employee bikesharing pilot, and user analyses (surveys and usage).
Bikesharing has evolved greatly since the first program was launched in the Netherlands in the mid-1960s. As of May 2011, there were an estimated 136 bikesharing programs in 165 cities around the world, with 237,000 bikes on the streets. In the Americas, bikesharing activity has spread to Canada, Mexico, the US, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Asia, which represents the fastest-growing bikesharing market today, has programs in China, South Korea, and Taiwan.
This special issue of the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation highlights developments in shared-use vehicle research, in particular carsharing, public bikesharing, and personal vehicle sharing. Since the mid-1980s, shared-use vehicle services have gained momentum across the world. Developments include a range of operational models—private, non-profit, and governmental ventures; advanced technology; worldwide entry and growth; collaboration and competition; and increased activity by auto rental companies and automakers.
Susan A. Shaheen, Ph.D., Adam P. Cohen, and Elliot W. Martin, Ph.D.
2012
Public bikesharing—the shared use of a bicycle fleet—is an innovative mobility strategy that has recently emerged in major North American cities. Bikesharing systems typically position bicycles throughout an urban environment, among a network of docking stations, for immediate access. Approximately five years ago, information technology (or IT)-based bikesharing services began to emerge in North America. Since 2007, 27 IT-based programs have been deployed–26 are operational and one is now defunct. Bikesharing growth potential in North America is examined on the basis of a survey of...
Susan Shaheen, PhD, Elliot Martin, PhD, and Adam Cohen
2013
Public bikesharing—the shared use of a bicycle fleet by the public—is an innovative mobility strategy that has recently emerged in major North American cities. Bikesharing systems typically position bicycles throughout an urban environment, among a network of docking stations, for immediate access. This paper discusses the modal shift that results from individuals participating in four public bikesharing systems in North America. We conducted an online survey (n =10,661 total sample), between November 2011 and January 2012, with members of four major bikesharing organizations (...