Presentation for the Meeting of the network Scientists for Cycling (ECF) in Sevilla, 2011. It shows information about Esther Anaya's work and research fields.

1. Workshop, 22nd March 2011, Sevilla.
Understanding public bicycles
Esther Anaya Boig
Bicycle mobility consultant and independent researcher

2. Contents
• My research:
– A very short CV
– What I’ve done / What I’m doing
• Public bicycles in context
• And now, what are public bikes?
• Point of view
– Myth and Fact
– Exploring conflicts
• Available research documents and instruments
• Other ideas for research projects in Spain
• Contact and thank you

3. Short CV
CV
• Academic: B. Environmental Sciences, B. Literature and Culture, Master in Mobility Management.
• Professional: Mobility consultancies, Cycling NGO.
• Advocacy: member of the management board of BACC (cycling NGO in Catalonia) and collaborator
of La Saboga (local ecologist association in l’Hospitalet)
• Networks: World City Bikes Collaborative, Scientist for Cycling.
(more info Linkedin.com and Academia.edu)

4. My research
• What I’ve done
– Guide for the implementation of public bikes
systems in Spain (IDAE,2007)
– Studies on public bikes systems in Spain
(2007, 2009)
– Participation in Workshops and Conferences:
• Spanish Conferences on Public bikes 2007 & 2009
• Velocity 2009
• ECOMM 2009
• Bicycle Politics Workshop CeMoRe 2010

5. My research
• What I’m up to
– Updating Spanish inventory and
database (map)
– National Advisory Board OBIS project
(from 2008)
– Preparing next National conference
(3rd)
– Preparing Chapter for Emerald book on
cycling, with Benoît Beroud (Mobiped)
– In contact with CeMoRe to publish the
results of Bicycle Politics Workshop.
– In contact with other experts for
common research projects
http://bicicletapublica.wordpress.com/mapa/

6. In context
• From total freedom and community
sharing/responsibility to total control and less
responsibility of the user.
• Constant evolution of the concept, objectives and
motives of uses – the generations (De Maio,2001)
1.Provo white bikes 2.Copenhagen Bycyklen 3. Barcelona Bicing 4. …
•Integration
•Sustainability
•Comunication,information
•Antivandalism
•Ebikes

7. In context: Spain stats
Number of systems
113
106 Systems in operation 114
99
92
85
Cities with systems 149
78
71 Bicycles “on the streets” 23.542
64
57
50 Average age (months) 31
43
36
29
22
15
8
1
09/02 10/03 11/04 12/05 01/07 02/08 03/09 05/10 06/11
Opening date
December 2010

8. And now…
• What are they?
– Public bicycle mobility service based on the hiring of a bicycle
for everyday trips.
• Public service
• Mobility service
• Hire
• Everyday trips
– Finding their typology of users (in relation to private bicycle):
• less risk of theft,
• less responsibility for maintenance,
• no need for space at private premises in origin and/or destination,
• flexibility of election of modes in the travel chain,
• less availability/reliability, …

9. Point of view
• Not just technical
• Criticism
– Myth and fact – are figures coherent with clichés?
(i.e. pull effect: do public bikes increase the use of private bikes?, are
they sustainable?)
– Impact? Positive or negative…
– Cost-Benefit analysis
– Lack of data analysis
– Social/anthropological (…) approaches
– Mobility, behaviour, opinion surveys
– Sharing in transport
– Integration, what is? In which way?
– We need to take into account the complete cycling policy, mobility
policy, urbanism and land use planning…

10. Myth and fact
ON THE NEXT SLIDES:
• The critical mass effect on accidentality
• The pull effect of public bikes to increase private bikes
use.
• Public bikes are cheap – said the advert company. The
economic crisis context.
• Public bikes are sustainable
• Public bikes are easy to manage (not to say to design). The
assimetry concept.
• They will give a good image to cycling. Examples of
vandalism and pedestrian conflict.

11. Myth and fact
Critical mass...
Cycling accidents in relation to number of trips
120.000 12,00
100.000 10,00
Reverse!
80.000 8,00
Trips
Accident rate
60.000 6,00
40.000 4,00
20.000 2,00
Critical mass
0 0,00
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Trips Accident rate

12. Myth and fact
Pull effect?
Barcelona daily trips in private and public
bicycle
Private uses are stable
120.000
or decrease!
100.000
80.000 Inner trips (Bicing)
60.000 Inner trips (private
bicycle)
40.000
Connection trips (private
bicycle)
20.000
0
2007 2008 2009

13. Myth and fact
Economic crisis and public bikes
“Área Bicing” and Bicibox
– EMT (Metropolitan Transport Entity)
– 1st metropolitan area (17 municipalities)
– Compatibility with Bicing
– Partly financed by advertising, partly EMT and local
administrations
– Process: Feasibility study, Call for tenders. Deserted…
– Replaced by a secure parking project:
Bicibox (cheaper and with no
implication for the local
administrations). Already awarded.

14. Myth and fact
Sustainability
The environmental balance
• CO2 savings: from modal shift (when bicycle trips substitute motorized ones)
• CO2 emissions: by redistribution vehicles (consequence of uphill locations)
CO2
Modal shift Redistribution
(10% uses) EMISSIONS
SAVINGS

15. Myth and fact
Managing assimetry
DURATION (HOURS)
EMPTY
FULL
Ajuntament de Barcelona, 2008