Introduction

As more cities begin to recognise the benefits cycling offers, bike share has become an increasingly popular method of enhancing transport choice, urban productivity and sustainability. Some bike share services are entirely government owned, with the public sector owning the docking stations, bicycles and streets entirely held by the government. One useful method of thinking about bike share is by isolating the three fundamental elements that each mode of transport holds. Breaking the Cycle of Car Dependence has proved difficult, and few examples exist in which changes in transport policy have led to substantially lower car use and a rise in sustainable mobility. As urban populations have grown upwards and outwards, in combination with increasingly attainable motor vehicles, transport systems have come under unprecedented strain. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.