Mapping Urban Mobility: A GIS-Based Analysis of Citi Bike's Accessibility

In recent years, bike share programs have increasingly expanded across the United States. The Citi Bike program in New York City has emerged as a pioneering force in urban bikeshare systems, revolutionizing the landscape of sustainable and accessible transportation with over 400,000 members and 75 million rides taken since its launch. With cities across the globe striving to address urbanization challenges, understanding the complex interplay of Citi Bike with spatial dynamics, accessibility, and transportation equity is paramount. This study aims to investigate the access to bike infrastructure (including bikeshare stations and bike lanes), and the factors influencing the presence of bikeshare stations in New York City. The methodology included estimating buffers around bike infrastructure by ¼- and ½-mile and evaluating equity of access using the Bicycle Equity Index (BEI) methodology. Moreover, a binary logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between sociodemographic factors and the likelihood of bikeshare station availability. These analyses can provide valuable insights into Citi Bike usage, accessibility, and factors that influence rider behavior. Moreover, to identify trends in rider’s behavior, such as trip density, trip duration, and station utilization, spatial analysis techniques are used. The spatial distribution of Citi Bike stations and their proximity to different urban amenities, transit hubs, and underserved communities using this geospatial approach were visualized. By employing this multifaceted methodology, valuable insights into Citi Bike’s role in shaping urban mobility, offering informed perspectives for urban planning and the promotion of equitable, sustainable, and accessible urban living will be gained. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the future of urban mobility and the potential for bikeshare programs to shape more accessible and sustainable transportation options.