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)
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