Spatial heterogeneity and nonlinearity study of bike-sharing to subway connections from the perspective of built environment

Abstract

Bike-sharing has become an effective solution to address the "last mile" challenge in public transit. Existing studies insufficiently consider architectural environmental factors from a design perspective in impacting bike-sharing-to-subway connection(BSC) behavior, and often relying on subjective assessments to explain the spatial heterogeneity of the built environment on BSC travel. To investigate the impact mechanisms of the built environment on BSC behaviors, this study used weekly data on bike-sharing travel trajectories from April 7 to April 14, 2021, in Shenzhen, China, as the research sample. By integrating large-scale urban point of interest(POI), street-view images and road-network data from Shenzhen, this study examines the mechanisms by which the built environment influences BSC travel. This study initially applied linear regression and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of built environment impacts on BSC travel. Then, XGBoost's nonlinear relationships were used to explain and validate the MGWR results. This study reveals that functional diversity is the most significant factor influencing BSC travel. At subway stations where it is difficult to enhance functional diversity, improvements in road connectivity, vegetation, and enclosure can enhance BSC commuting. These findings are crucial for decreasing the reliance on motor vehicles and fostering sustainable urban growth.