Much-Anticipated Marriage of Cycling and Transit

Abstract

In response to the environmental, economic, and social costs associated with overreliance on the automobile, planners and transportation professionals are promoting sustainable alternatives such as walking, cycling, and public transit, either as single modes or in combination. It has been argued that the marriage between cycling and transit presents opportunities for synergy by enlarging catchment areas of transit stations while drawing in new users to both of these green modes. However, because of the marginality of combining cycling and transit in North America, there is a shortage of reliable empirical studies in this area. The present study addressed this gap through an analysis of travel behavior and preferences related to cycle–transit (C-T) integration. An online survey was conducted in the region of Montreal, Canada, during the summer of 2010. The questionnaire included a section on Montreal's public bicycle sharing system, Bixi (bicycle taxi), and its potential for integration with transit. Three current or potential C-T user groups were identified through a factor–cluster analysis: current parking bike-and-riders, Bixi users, and car drivers. Bringing a bicycle on transit was the preferred form of integration; however, scenarios involving bicycle parking (or using a public bicycle) were likely to be used more regularly. To accommodate the greatest number of bicycle–transit trips, measures that facilitated parking at transit stops and those that enabled the bringing of bicycles on board transit vehicles were recommended in tandem.