Bike-Sharing Station Usage and the Surrounding Built Environments in Major Texas Cities

Abstract: This study explores how various built environments impact bike-share usage in emerging dock-based systems across three Texas cities. Previous research lacks clarity on whether factors that drive high bicycle usage in large cities also apply to smaller, developing bike-share markets in less densely populated American cities. In Austin and Houston, proximity to high-comfort bicycle facilities shows a positive correlation with bike-share usage. However, all three cities exhibit minimal relationships between bike-share usage and other established drivers of urban bicycling activity. This could be attributed to these systems being designed primarily for leisure and recreational trips.