Strategic design of public bicycle sharing systems with service level constraints

Abstract

This study addresses the strategic planning of public bicycle sharing systems with service level considerations. In considering the interests of both users and investors, the proposed model attempts to determine the number and locations of bike stations, the network structure of bike paths connected between the stations, and the travel paths for users between each pair of origins and destinations. A small example is created to illustrate the proposed model. Sensitivity analysis is also performed to gain better insights into knowing how several important parameters affect the design of the system.