Evaluating accessibility benefits and ridership of bike-transit integration through a social equity lens

Abstract

Integration of bike usage and transit services is an effective way to enhance accessibility for both transportation modes. Using high-resolution transit data, the study analyzes bike-transit multimodal accessibility and usage patterns through a social equity lens. Two types of accessibility increment are studied: bicycle increment to public transit – the benefits of using bicycle for transit riders, and transit increment to cycling – the merits of using transit for cyclists. Results show that bike-transit integration benefits both public transit riders and cyclists, expanding their accessible opportunities by up to 70% and enabling longer trips for cyclists while providing continuous benefits for public transit users. Meanwhile, better infrastructure significantly improves multimodal accessibility, resulting in more increment for public transit riders but less increment for cyclists. The paper also shows the spatiotemporal patterns of multimodal ridership. The research highlights disparities in bike-transit activities for Black communities due to inadequate local biking infrastructure. Black people majority neighborhoods enjoy less increment compared to other neighborhoods for shorter and very long trips; they also have disproportionately lower multimodal ridership despite much higher transit ridership and better transit access. Enhancing biking infrastructure in these areas can improve physical accessibility increment and promote social equity. The paper provides practical insights for transit planning, emphasizing the importance of connecting bike lanes and creating safer streets for cycling.