Identification of Enablers and Barriers for Public Bike Share System Adoption using Social Media and Statistical Models

Ainhoa Serna,Jon Gerrikagoitia,Rosa Arroyo,Tomas Ruiz

doi:10.3390/su11226259

Ainhoa Serna, Jon Gerrikagoitia + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su11226259

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Abstract

Public bike share (PBS) systems are meant to be a sustainable urban mobility solution in areas where different travel options and the practice of active transport modes can diminish the need on the vehicle and decrease greenhouse gas emission. Although PBS systems have been included in transportation plans in the last decades experiencing an important development and growth, it is crucial to know the main enablers and barriers that PBS systems are facing to reach their goals. In this paper, first, sentiment analysis techniques are applied to user generated content (UGC) in social media comments (Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor) to identify these enablers and barriers. This analysis provides a set of explanatory variables that are combined with data from official statistics and the PBS observatory in Spain. As a result, a statistical model that assesses the connection between PBS use and certain characteristics of the PBS systems, utilizing sociodemographic, climate, and positive and negative opinion data extracted from social media is developed. The outcomes of the research work show that the identification of the main enablers and barriers of PBS systems can be effectively achieved following the research method and tools presented in the paper. The findings of the research can contribute to transportation planners to uncover the main factors related to the adoption and use of PBS systems, by taking advantage of publicly available data sources.

Highlights

Urban mobility is a major problem for EU citizens, as evidenced by a Eurobarometer study conducted in July 2007 [1], as 90% of Europeans thought that the traffic situation should be improved in their zone
This paper presents a non-traditional methodological approach that has been applied to uncover the main enablers and barriers for the adoption of public bike share (PBS) systems taking advantage of publicly available data sources
It has been demonstrated that sentiment analysis is a useful technique to extract information on the perceptions and attitudes of people from social media comments toward PBS systems

Summary

Introduction

Urban mobility is a major problem for EU citizens, as evidenced by a Eurobarometer study conducted in July 2007 [1], as 90% of Europeans thought that the traffic situation should be improved in their zone. According to the EU Transport Council in 2001, “a sustainable transport system is one that allows individuals and societies to meet their needs for access to areas of activity with total safely, in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, and that is balanced between different generations” [2]. In this context, bicycles help to reduce pollution, as up to 70% of pollution is caused, in large cities, by traffic and private vehicles [3]. Conforming to [6], a recent report from the Global Carbon Project indicated that greenhouse gas emissions increased by 2.7% in 2018

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