Bike Libraries from Around the World and What We Can Learn From Them
The increase in bike libraries over the past decade marks a heightened interest in using place-based mobility solutions to close mobility gaps and promote modal shift. This paper aims to provide a conceptual framework for understanding and comparing differing bike library and bike-sharing models. This conceptual model is then applied to a case study of Buffalo’s East Side Bike Club, which, since 2017, has run a bike repair shop out of a garage and, in 2021, founded an e-bike library in cooperation with Shared Mobility, Inc.
Ultimately, this paper aims to evaluate the best practices gleaned through precedent studies relevant to the East Side Bike Club and further evaluate the effects of the East Side Bike Club based on community feedback. Bike libraries are a nascent concept, however, as they continue to evolve, researchers must continue to study their effects on marginalized communities to inform future program development.
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