Environment/Climate Change
Effect of bike sharing system on pollution expsoure Mai* Mai Waziry
Introduction
Travel behavior has changed in recent years, with more people working from home, shorter commute trips, and more individuals using sustainable modes of transportation, such as bike-sharing systems (BSS). Two drivers of these changes have been post-pandemic attitudes about work and a more acute interest in mitigating climate change.
Purpose
This investigation explores the following mechanisms: travel time, bike ridership, and pollution exposure, with two primary objectives. The first is to examine the relationships among these mechanisms, and the second is to investigate causal mediation processes, including both direct and indirect effects, that influence bike ridership. In order to examine these objectives, the study proposes two key hypotheses. First, bike ridership is associated with shorter travel times, primarily because bikes are often used for first- and last-mile commuting and due to the proximity of bike stations to individuals’ locations. Second, pollution exposure is mediated by travel time, directly and indirectly affecting ridership.
Findings
The main findings of this case study focus on identifying causal mediation effects, which provide deeper understanding into the relationship between bike-sharing system ridership and health. There is an indirect effect on health between ridership and pollution through travel time, suggesting that cyclists may be exposed to air pollution during their rides, with the duration of their commute potentially influencing this exposure. Built environment factors could mitigate or exacerbate the air quality conditions experienced during the trip. Second, working from home might negatively decrease BSS ridership, although the results are not significant, this could provide insight into understanding the change in travel behavior post-pandemic. Third, shorter travel time increases BSS ridership, which further supports the fact that BSS users use bikes for first and last-mile trips.