With Community and Environment in Mind: Bike Share System in Salem, MA

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of new forms of mobility in the urban space. Salem, a small tourist town in the northeastern United States, follows this trend. Sharing bicycles, scooters and other services offer not only new options for travelers, but also new sources of data that can help municipalities make better investments in transportation and policy options. Since 2007, a bicycle sharing system has been at the forefront of the micro-mobility revolution in the city. This service is a positive resource for residents, passengers, students and visitors who want to explore the city faster than walking and more sustainable than driving. As each vehicle has a GPS and can be parked almost anywhere, the system can provide a detailed picture of travel patterns in the region. Although the start locations of the race may not be exactly where the cyclist started his journey (since a bicycle may not be available outside his origin), it is likely that the end of the cycle path is very close to the intended destination. The objective of this study is to describe the changes that occur in the community after the establishment of cycling stations in the city of Salem and, based on the literature review, observations in-loco and interviews with users of the system, provide guidelines for possible expansion and/or improvements in the network. All pictures in the presentation were taken by Sheida Serafat.