Estimating physical activity levels for regular and non-regular bike share users in Charleston, South Carolina

Abstract

IntroductionThe growth of bike share systems has increased opportunities for active transportation and recreation. Using Global positioning system data for all trips in two years for the Charleston, South Carolina bike share system, the objectives of the study were to 1) demonstrate a physical activity estimation process for bike share trips, 2) describe the estimated activity levels for the bike share system, and 3) examine differences in bike share physical activity levels by bike share membership type. MethodsAll bike share trips taken in 2018 and 2019 were analyzed in this study (n = 93,470). Global positioning system data was used to record the distance and duration, which was used to calculate average speed for all trips. Based on this speed, a metabolic equivalent (MET) value derived from the Compendium of Physical Activities (2010) was assigned to each bike share trip and total MET-minutes were estimated for each trip. Differences in MET-minutes by bike share membership type, day of the week, and seasonality were analyzed using linear regression. ResultsOn average, each bike share trip resulted in 147.8 MET-minutes, or about 30% of the minimum weekly recommended physical activity (i.e., 500–1000 MET-minutes). Trips were evenly split into light and moderate intensity based on MET values. Bike share members classified as regular users accumulated greater MET-minutes per trip compared to those classified as non-regular users (b=147.9, p<0.001). ConclusionsBike share systems can estimate the physical activity levels for trips using global positioning system data and an evidence-based approach. Both regular and non-regular bike share use can contribute to meeting daily physical activity recommendations, quantifying a health promotion component for bike share systems.