If We Build It, Who Will Come? Comparing Sociodemographic Characteristics of Bike Share Subscribers, Cyclists, and Residents of New York City

Abstract

Bike share programs are becoming increasingly popular across U.S. cities. However, their impact on persistent disparities in cycling by gender, race, and socioeconomic status remains understudied. We examined whether subscribers of Citi Bike, New York City’s (NYC) largest bike share program, reflect the sociodemographic profile of NYC cyclists. Using NYC Community Health Survey data, we described adult NYC residents of neighborhoods with ≥1 Citi Bike stations who rode a bicycle at least once a month. Citi Bike members were also described using first-time subscriber survey data. We compared the sociodemographic characteristics of these groups via a z-score with pooled variance. Approximately 2.2 million residents lived in 15 NYC neighborhoods with ≥1 Citi Bike station, and 449,000 (20.5%) reported cycling at least once a month in the past 12 months. Among first-time Citi Bike subscribers, 23,223 (11.5%) completed the survey. Compared with NYC cyclists, Citi Bike subscribers were more likely to be women, aged 24 to 45, White, college graduates, and from a household with an income >400% than the poverty level. Compared with the general population, cyclists were more likely to be White, male, and from a household with an income >400% than the poverty level. Race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (not gender) disparities were larger among Citi Bike subscribers than NYC cyclists. With the emergence of cycling as an alternative transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic and the extension of bike share programs, this highlights the need for ongoing, systematic monitoring of bike share user socioeconomic characteristics to evaluate equitable use and access.

Active Transportation for Underrepresented Populations in the United States: A Systematic Review of Literature

“…The same study found that bikeshare initiatives were not reaching segments of the population who were not already prone to cycling in New York City ( 65 ). Another study by Gehrke et al ( 66 ) stated that neighborhoods with a larger proportion of renter-occupied dwellings and historically disadvantaged populations have less access to dockless bikes while simultaneously having higher bike utilization rates.…”

“…Similarly, Qian and Jaller ( 64 ) used a dataset from Divvy bikeshare in Chicago, and the results indicated that bikeshare journeys are more likely to occur in areas with increased accessibility (i.e., the ability to use various mobility services and technologies, the ability to reach significant destinations/opportunities, or both). CitiBike in New York City is one of the largest bikeshare programs in the U.S. ( 65 ).…”