Denver B-cycle: Evaluative Research of the Potential for Use Among Low-Income Populations

Andrew Duvall, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor

University of Colorado Denver

Equity in Bike Share: Practical Methods for Addressing Equity and Measuring Outcomes Pro Walk Pro Bike Pro Place • Pittsburg, PA • September 2014

In Brief: Denver B-cycle

• Launched April 2010 with 500 bikes at 50 stations

• Currently 700 bikes at 84 stations

• Average 1,500 to 2,200 trips per day (2014)

• 51k short term users, 4k annual members (2013)

Source: Denver B-cycle

Recent History of Transportation Bicycling in Denver

0.4% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.6% 0.5% 0.6% 0.6%

1.4%

1.8% 1.6% 1.6%

1.8%

2.2% 2.4%

2.9%

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

2.5%

3.0%

3.5%

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Bicycle Commuter Mode Share U.S. Census American Community Survey (ASC)

U.S. Denver

Source: U.S. Census ASC 2005-2012

Denver B-cycle begins operation

Source: Duvall 2012

Research Purpose: How and Why

• Continuation of dissertation research

– Identified demographic disparities

– Enabled car use replacement by active trans

– Revealed as self-motivated “stealth” intervention

• Presenting sponsor Kaiser Permanente

– Fits within KP preventive health lifestyle approach

– Desired evaluation of health, social impacts

– Methods to reduce disparities, increase uptake

Evaluative Research Surveys

• Survey of Annual Members

– Non-random, approx. 20% of total annual members

– Conducted online

• Survey of five low and mixed-income neighborhoods in Denver B-cycle service area

– Randomly selected, 502 responses

– Conducted face-to-face

Demographic Characteristics

32.9%

25.5%

42.2%

51.8% 51.1%

14.2%

7.5% 7.4%

44.6% 41.4%

non-Caucasian Hispanic <$35k household

income

female at risk BMI (≥25)

2013 Neighborhood Survey Respondents

2013 Denver B-cycle Annual Members

Source: Duvall 2014

Source: Duvall 2014

Transportation Characteristics

71.4% 80.4%

59.2%

85.7% 94.2%

82.8%

62.6%

93.1%

own a car own a bike Interested but Concerned

want to bike more

2013 Neighborhood Survey Respondents

2013 Denver B-cycle Annual Members

Source: Duvall 2014

Low-income Neighborhoods: Key Barriers to Use

• Poor perception of street safety – 64.4% think cars are safer than bikes

• Lack of knowledge of system – 59.8% would try if they knew more of how it worked

• Lack of credit cards and bank accounts – 25.1% have no credit card, 23.2% no bank account – 16.5% have neither

• Poor perception of cost of membership – 66.8% would try if cost were lower – Wary of $80 annual price, open to ~$10 monthly

Source: Duvall 2014

Source: Denver B-cycle

Source: Duvall 2014

Low-income Neighborhoods: Key Facilitators to Use

• Fewer existing transportation options – 28.6% don’t own a car; open to alternatives

• Expense of other modes makes bikes attractive – 48.5% report transport costs are big part of budget

• Bikes offer greater convenience – 92.6% view greater speed of bikes as reason to choose

over walking

• Rising social acceptance of transport bicycling – 91.0% say they see people like themselves biking – Many young adults are less entrenched in car culture

Source: Duvall 2014

Source: Duvall 2014

Research Informs Near-term Strategies

• Reducing economic threshold

– Denver Housing Authority alternative to collateral

– Low-income monthly installment memberships

• Broader participation

– Partnership with municipal, community, transit, business, & bicycle advocacy organizations

– Collocation at public and low-income properties

– Denver Health supportive programs

Source: Duvall 2014

Research Informs Long-term Strategies

• Economic empowerment – Bank account, credit establishment programs

• If you support it, they will use it – Integrate active transportation into codes,

policies, practices, and infrastructure

• Innovate recruitment through public health – Medical prescriptive memberships (kudos to

Boston)

– Social engagement (“stealth” health intervention)

Questions?

andrew.duvall@ucdenver.edu