The Effect of Bikesharing on Subway Ridership
Date
2024-10
Authors
De Martini, Santiago
relationships.isContributorOfPublication
Ertola Navajas, Gabriela
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universidad de San Andrés. Departamento de Economía
Abstract
Accessibility to public transportation is a key determinant of transport mode choice. When the distance to or from a public transport hub is beyond walking range, commuters tend to dismiss trip alternatives that require walking to such a hub. This paper examines whether bikeshare systems can improve accessibility to subway stations, thereby expanding their catchment areas and increasing ridership. I study this problem in the context of the City of Buenos Aires, where more than 400 bike stations opened in staggered dates. Following a differences-in-differences design, I estimate that when a bikeshare station opens within 400m of a subway station, the daily volume of passengers of the latter increases by 14.5%. Moreover, this effect is stronger in non-working days, where I register an increase of 20.7%. Furthermore, I find that for each additional subway station receiving a nearby bikeshare station, the ridership of its subway line increases by 13.6%, indicating that the results are not influenced by spillover effects. Finally, I propose a discrete-choice model that could be used to estimate the optimal locations for bikeshare stations, contingent on the availability of additional data. These results highlight the potential of bikeshare systems to boost subway ridership in urban areas, thereby reducing congestion and emissions through the promotion of sustainable transportation.
Description
Fil: De Martini, Santiago. Universidad de San Andrés. Departamento de Economía; Argentina.