Examining usage patterns of a bike-sharing scheme in a medium sized city

Bike-sharing is one of the fastest growing new modes of transport in the world, with more and more schemes opening every year. This paper examines the trends in a bike-sharing scheme that has been in operation in Cork since 2014. While many studies exist on how bike-sharing schemes are changing mobility in cities across the globe, few studies have looked at the dynamics of these schemes in smaller cities. One of the motivations in looking at a small city like Cork is to determine if smaller cites derive benefits from bike-sharing schemes and can bike-sharing schemes provide a prominent role in these cities. This research found that in a small, compact city like Cork, average trip times recorded are short with regular uses displaying habitual trip patterns. This includes using the same bike stations and following similar routes on a daily or weekly basis. The findings also suggest weather has an impact upon usage, with longer trips more likely during better weather conditions. The findings of the paper provide insights to the dynamics of usage of a smaller bike-sharing scheme and results on how bike-sharing is offering citizens a new transport alternative.