How do app users select a free-floating bicycle? A stated preference survey investigating choice behaviour using generated screenshots

Abstract Since 2015, free-floating bicycle schemes have been flourishing worldwide due to their easy booking and mobile payment systems. Despite numerous publications, there remains a significant gap in understanding how app users select their bikes and how spatial barriers, such as intersections or temporary availability uncertainty (during peak times), influence their choices. In order to explore the factors affecting users’ preferences while using the smartphone app, an online survey was conducted in China in 2022. The study evaluates traveller preferences for bicycle usage based on visual stated preference scenarios in which screenshots with potential bike pick-up locations were presented to the respondents. Mixed logit and nested multinomial logistic regression were applied to 9512 valid observations from 1189 respondents. The findings reveal that walking and cycling distance, reservation time, cost, number of intersections, and risk are estimated to have a significant influence on which bicycle is chosen or whether walking is preferred. All parameters have the expected sign, though we observe significant heterogeneity among users. The nested structure furthermoreprovides evidence that travelers are more likely to change their bicycle choice than their reservation status. For example, extending the time a bike is reservable by 5 min can be as valuable as reducing the walking access time by 50–100 m or increasing the fare by 1 CNY. Our results further highlight the importance of detailed locational decisions where shared bicycles are placed. If the operator is able to place bicycles in locations where many travelers do not have to cross intersections, this can offset price increases.