User-Based Redistribution in Free-Floating Bike Sharing Systems

Christoph Heitz (), Roman Etschmann, Raoul Stoeckle, Thomas Bachmann and Matthias Templ
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Christoph Heitz: Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Roman Etschmann: Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Raoul Stoeckle: smide KmG
Thomas Bachmann: La Mobilière
Matthias Templ: Zurich University of Applied Sciences

A chapter in Operations Research Proceedings 2018, 2019, pp 555-562 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract We investigate the problem of user-based redistribution for free-floating bike sharing systems (BSS). We present a stochastic model of the bike dynamics and we show that the spatial distribution of bikes is correlated. This is specific to free-floating systems and it results in a substantially reduced service level. Offering incentives to users may stimulate them to change their behavior and usage pattern. We analyze drop-off incentives, derive an incentive methodology and study its potential. We show that by implementing a smart incentive system, the number of bikes for establishing a specific service level can be reduced significantly, even if only a minority of users participates. Under realistic behavioral assumptions, 30–50% reduction of bikes is achievable, which converts into substantial costs savings for the operator. Our research was carried out in the context of the development of the new e-bike sharing system “smide” in Zurich, launched in 2017. The incentive approach has been implemented and tested in a field test.

Keywords: Bike sharing system; Free-floating; Redistribution; Simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:oprchp:978-3-030-18500-8_69

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-18500-8_69

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