Study finds coronavirus safety communication matters for bike share ridership

MARCH 24, 2021 — A survey by a UTSA student-professor team revealed interesting insights into why people used bike sharing programs during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

Greg Griffin, assistant professor in urban and regional planning, led the study design, and graduate student Jeffrey Jobe led writing the newly-published study. It started as a partnership with Bike Share San Antonio and its executive director JD Simpson, who wanted to know how coronavirus concerns would impact ridership during the pandemic. The survey was conducted in May 2020. Based on the initial findings, Jobe and Griffin also reviewed 10 additional bike share programs across the country.

Griffin and Jobe found communication, or lack thereof, on procedures bike share organizations were implementing to disinfect bikes, and keep riders safe, could be key to whether people would use the bikes during the pandemic. In this case, San Antonio Bike Share was found to be a model example of driving awareness on what they were doing to sanitize bikes, along with sharing guidelines riders should follow to keep themselves safe.

“It’s another example of the quality of work and depth of research our graduate students at UTSA are capable of completing.”

“San Antonio Bike Share was proactive in its communication to the public about its seven-step program to prevent transmission of the virus,” Griffin said. “Sharing this information to keep them safe was very helpful." 

Even with a proactive strategy in place, a majority said in the survey that they didn’t know about Bike Share’s safety program. However, Jobe and Griffin found, some cities where bike riding has long been popular didn’t communicate safety measures at all to its cycling customers. Bicycling rates in some cities dropped up to 35% during the pandemic. San Antonio and Houston, who are promoting promoting safety communication, saw up to 89% increases in ridership during the pandemic.

“We're not sure whether the other programs surveyed implemented a seven-step safety process like San Antonio Bike Share, but if they did, many didn't communicate it,” Jobe said. “That means the public may have not known whether that source of transportation is safe and therefore a healthy option to get around.”

This uncertainty doesn’t just impact people using bike share programs for recreational use. The lack of communication on COVID-19 safety likely impacted lower-income communities. The survey found significant numbers of riders use bike share to get to work or to shop. Not knowing whether a bike was clean and safe to use could keep these riders away and opt for other public transportation options.

“And in these ways, bike sharing can be a resource not just for the whole community, but also for equity by serving as a transportation resource,” Griffin said. “So, bike sharing can be an effective method to expand and improve access to jobs and services as we recovered from the pandemic.”

Many bike share programs, as in San Antonio, are self-supported through grants, private donations and some advertising revenue. They rely on access to bike trails and pathways to place their rental stations. The San Antonio survey included a satisfaction index. Respondents had different opinions on how to improve service across income levels.

Lower-income riders said they wanted bike rental stations located closer to businesses for work and shopping. They also suggested expanding rental hours. Additional feedback included discount fees and other options aside from a bank card to pay the rental fee.

Higher-income users said they were more concerned with cleanliness and maintenance of the bikes and rental kiosks. They also wanted to see bike rental areas stationed in historic areas such as Tobin Hill and Monte Vista.

As the coronavirus restrictions slowly ease across the country, researchers pondered what impact it will have on ridership with bike share.

“Our survey suggests bike sharing is going to increase significantly, at least in our community,” Jobe said. “But we don't have any information that would suggest that even with a lack of communication in safety protocols that other communities wouldn't experience similar increases in bike sharing also.”

In San Antonio, respondents who use the system twice or more each month said they intend to increase their use of bike share rentals. However, income status continues to pose a challenge to equity for bike sharing. Griffin said acting on the feedback from the survey provides opportunities to improve service to low-income communities.

The Jobe-Griffin study evolved into a research paper that was accepted for publication by Transportation, Research, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives. The survey and paper is an excellent opportunity for Jobe, as a graduate student, to gain experience as a lead author and researcher, while being recognized by peers in the transportation field.

“I’m proud of the effort Jeffrey put into this research and this paper,” Griffin said. “It’s another example of the quality of work and depth of research our graduate students at UTSA are capable of completing.”

— Bruce Forey