ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of how equitable bike share has been approached, briefly explores the environmental justice framework that applies to bike share, and presents a few lessons that have been learned by engaging underserved communities. In its most basic form, bicycle sharing or bike share is a form of transportation in which users temporarily access a bicycle, often for short trips. In most cases, bike sharing allows a user to access a bicycle from a starting point, use the bicycle, and later deposit the bicycle at another station within the bike share network. Physical barriers, such as the lack of stations in low-income communities, appear to be conceptually easier to mitigate. Financial barriers include the user costs, which are often too high for low-income users. Informational barriers prevent potential low-income users from understanding the benefits of bike share or even how to use it. Cultural barriers include distrust of authority and discomfort with shared mobility systems.
