Potential of built environment interventions involving deployment of public bicycles to increase utilitarian cycling : the case of BIXI in Montreal, Quebec
Background: Interventions in transportation and the built environment have the potential to increasing physical activity. Public bicycle share programs (PBSP) are one such intervention which may contribute to increasing cycling and physical activity. BIXI© (name merges the words BIcycle and taXI) is a public bicycle share programs launched in Montreal, Canada in May 2009. BIXI© makes available 5050 bicycles at 405 docking stations. Purpose: The overarching aim of this dissertation is to estimate the impact of a built environment intervention on cycling using. The specific research objectives are:  1) To estimate the population prevalence and identify built environment, sociodemographic and behavioural correlates of public bicycle share program use.  2) To estimate the population level impact of implementing a public bicycle share program on cycling and the contribution of utilitarian and recreational cycling to overall cycling. 3) To estimate the local impact of implementing a public bicycle share program on cycling. Methods: A population-based repeat, cross sectional time series design was used. The population of the Island of Montreal was sampled at three time points. Surveys were conducted at launch of the public bicycle share program (May 4th - June 10th 2009), at the end of the first year of implementation (October 8th - December 12th 2009), and at the end of the second year 2 of implementation (November 8th - December 12th 2010). Samples consisted of 2001 (Mean age=49.4 years, 56.7% female), 2502 (Mean age=47.8 years, 61.8% female), and 2509 (Mean age=48.9 years, 59.0% female) adults at the each time period. Results: Overall the results provide a proof of concept for the potential of PBSPs to increase cycling. Approximately 128,744 inhabitants or 8.1% of the adult population used BIXI© bicycles at least once in the first season. Respondents exposed to BIXI© at their residence after two years had a significantly greater likelihood of all forms cycling. However, there was no local impact of the BIXI© intervention on cycling.  Conclusions: The implementation of a PBSP in Montreal had increased all forms of cycling in areas where it was deployed.
Public bicycle share program Natural experiment Population health