Bike enthusiasts argue that bikesharing programs can be an important element of sustainable mobility planning in the urban cores of large metropolitan areas. However, the objective longterm impact of bikesharing on reducing auto-dependence is not well-examined, as prior studies have tended to rely on self-reported subjective mode substitution effects. We use a unique longitudinal dataset containing millions of geo-referenced vehicle registrations and odometer readings in Massachusetts over a six-year period - the Massachusetts Vehicle Census - to examine the causal impact of bikesharing on various metrics of auto-dependence in the inner core of Metro Boston.

Key findings

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A new bikeshare station reduces vehicle ownership per household by 2.2%, vehicle miles traveled per person by 3.3%, and per-capita vehicular GHG emissions by 2.9%.

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There is strong evidence to support the use of bikesharing as a first/last-mile connectorto mass transit

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Auto-dependence reductions are around 10% (more than thrice as high asaverage) where bikeshare connections to transit stations are less than one kilometer.

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Vehicle ownership reductions are almost immediate and last up to a year, while vehicle use and emission reductions are lagged over 1.5 years.

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