Studying shared bike route choice behavior using a bike-sharing system in Germany

The objective of this research is to explore the determinants of shared bike route choice in both urban and rural settings in Germany. To this end, a stated preference (SP) survey on route choice was conducted across several German cities. Participants were drawn from the service area of a regional bike-sharing system (BSS) in Germany. This area included five major cities and several mid-sized and smaller municipalities. The survey includes responses from both users and non-users of the BSS. Mixed multinomial logit models were used in analysis of the SP data. The study also calculated the willingness to pay (WTP) values for selected attributes. Significant influences on route choice included access and egress time, ride time, and ride cost. Significant random heterogeneity was found, especially for ride cost. Further heterogeneity was reported for interactions with sociodemographic attributes. Street type, surface, and bike infrastructure also had significant effects on route choice. Linkages between infrastructural preferences and respondents’ ages were evident. Although WTP values were strongly influenced by random heterogeneity in ride cost perception, most WTP values were comparable to the values obtained in other studies.