@article{718bbafe0b284cbfb96e40aacbfe9f32,
title = "Utilizing multi-stage behavior change theory to model the process of bike share adoption",
abstract = "This paper studies bike share adoption decisions as a dynamic change process from early contemplation to consolidated user status. This runs counter to the typical representation of mode adoption decisions as an instantaneous shift from pre to post usage. A two-level nested logit model that draws from the stage-of-change framework posited by the Transtheoretical Model is developed to study the adoption process. Using survey data collected from an online U.S. sample (n = 910), the model illustrates how personal, psychosocial, and community-oriented factors influence the probability of transitioning between different levels of readiness to participate in a bike share scheme. The findings suggest that encouraging forward movement in the contemplation-use ladder requires tailored, stage-specific interventions that are likely be overlooked if instead a one-size-fits-all psychological theory is applied to investigate travel behavior. In particular, the intermediate stages encapsulate more flexible (i.e. less habitual) orientation among respondents. Among the explanatory variables, the pronounced elasticities for active travel identity formation and norm integration are especially significant for crafting policies that influence bike share membership decisions. This paper adds to the nascent literature on the behavioral foundations of shared mobility adoption. The findings are translated to practical interventions, from operations to design and community-initiatives to guide practitioners seeking to promote bike share. The stage-based adoption representation helps to align interventions across the spectrum of user readiness to translate intention into behavior.",
keywords = "Bike share, Discrete choice model, Factor analysis, Segmentation, Stages of change",
author = "Alec Biehl and Alireza Ermagun and Amanda Stathopoulos",
note = "Funding Information: Several avenues of future research are worth noting. First and foremost, the stages of change framework we present is one of several variants, whereas further work is needed to test the implications of different change-process designs on modeling outcomes. Second, employing other discrete choice or latent variable models could further illuminate complexities in the process of behavior change, especially if multiple behaviors are simultaneously studied (e.g. bike share and transit use). More research is also needed to understand adoption in continuously evolving systems. Researchers are only beginning to study new business models, such as dock-less bike share. Many traditional determinants appear to be relevant for users in these systems, such as weather, cycling infrastructure, and transit proximity (ITDP, 2014; Shen et al., 2018). However, traditional barriers and facilitators are likely to change in the new services, opening the door for more research on adoption dynamics. For example, it is possible that lessons from user behavior in dock-less systems can benefit station placement in traditional fixed systems. Tentatively, free-flowing systems have the potential to overcome some of the equity challenges by facilitating access in low-income communities. An example of a bike-sharing initiative in this vein is the launch of dock-less bicycle-libraries planned by various operators in the southside of Chicago with support and regulation by the Chicago Department of Transportation. The extension will complement traditional bike-sharing and is aimed specifically at neighborhoods with primarily low-income Black populations, fueled by community-based initiatives and discounted passes (Wisniewski, 2018). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 Elsevier Ltd",
year = "2019",
month = may,
doi = "10.1016/j.tranpol.2019.02.001",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "77",
pages = "30--45",
journal = "Transport Policy",
issn = "0967-070X",
publisher = "Elsevier Limited",
}