Angie Schmitt reports on a recent study which found that bicycle infrastructure is a good predictor of ridership for bike-share programs.
It's now quite evident that more and more U.S. cities are becoming bicycle-friendly. But for cities and communities that are just starting to invest in bicycle infrastructure, an active debate focuses around the question of whether bicycle lanes would entice more people to participate in a bike-share program, or vice versa.
Despite a report [PDF] by the FHWA suggesting bike-share programs can be successful regardless of the level of bicycle infrastructure in the area, Darren Buck of Bike Pedantic produced his own study which found otherwise. Says Buck, "the bottom line is that even after controlling for a variety of stuff, bike lane volume still emerges as a significant predictor of bikeshare ridership."
Dayton, Ohio is studying establishing a bike-share program, and based on his findings, Buck suggests first investing in more basic bicycle infrastructure before putting all of the city's eggs in one basket.
Read the full story: Bike-Share and Bike Lanes: The Chicken and Egg Debate
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While Angie Schmitt doesn't ask this question in her article on the movement behind these lanes, she writes that cities without them "are being left behind". They're popular because they effectively address the #1 reason for not riding: safety
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