A sustainability-oriented optimal allocation strategy of sharing bicycles: Evidence from ofo usage in Shanghai

Abstract

Sharing bicycles is a widely recognized way to reduce resource consumption, promote green travel and improve traffic efficiency, yet the discrepancy between bicycle distribution and demand limits its impact on sustainable economic development. By employing a data-driven approach and using 10 ofo shared bicycle parking lots as the case, this paper aims to explore an optimal resource allocation strategy of sharing bicycles, including the layout of parking lots and the quantity of distributed bicycles, in order to maximize the positive effect of sharing bicycles with the goal of sustainability. The findings show that there is a large amount of redundancy in the allocation of ofo bicycles, which is mainly due to the “locust-like” mode of development in earlier times. These findings indicate that shared bicycle companies should adjust their strategies to more sustainable long-term objectives, and it is also practical to move the excess bicycles in urban areas to remote areas. Furthermore, with respect to sharing bicycles at universities, the findings suggest an inverted “U”-shaped relationship between the allocation efficiency and the distance to subway stations. This characteristic is consistent with the fact that sharing bicycles serves as an effective solution to the “last mile” problem. In addition, a simple but effective rule for bicycle allocation is proposed; that is, more bicycle resources should be invested in bustling residential areas, while fewer resources should be placed in famous business districts and areas with low residential density.