Identification of enablers and barriers for public bike share system adoption using social media and statistical models

Public bike share (PBS) systems are meant to be a sustainable urban mobility solution in areas where different travel options and the practice of active transport modes can diminish the need on the vehicle and decrease greenhouse gas emission. Although PBS systems have been included in transportation plans in the last decades experiencing an important development and growth, it is crucial to know the main enablers and barriers that PBS systems are facing to reach their goals. In this paper, first, sentiment analysis techniques are applied to user generated content (UGC) in social media comments (Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor) to identify these enablers and barriers. This analysis provides a set of explanatory variables that are combined with data from official statistics and the PBS observatory in Spain. As a result, a statistical model that assesses the connection between PBS use and certain characteristics of the PBS systems, utilizing sociodemographic, climate, and positive and negative opinion data extracted from social media is developed. The outcomes of the research work show that the identification of the main enablers and barriers of PBS systems can be effectively achieved following the research method and tools presented in the paper. The findings of the research can contribute to transportation planners to uncover the main factors related to the adoption and use of PBS systems, by taking advantage of publicly available data sources.