An Optimization Model for the Strategic Design of a Bicycle Sharing System: A Case Study in the City of Athens

Bicycle sharing systems comprise fleets of bicycles made available for shared use at low cost. Bicycles are distributed in stations spread within an urban area and may be picked up and dropped off at any station under flexible short-term rental schemes. The design of bicycle sharing systems raises several optimization problems as it involves the determination of the number, capacity and location of bicycle station facilities as well as the bicycle fleet size along with the allocation of bicycles among stations. These design decisions are subject to several variables, restrictions and dependencies, such as the predicted user demand patterns, the synergies among the bicycle sharing system and the public transportation network, the budget available for setting up the system, etc. In this paper we investigate the problem of the strategic design of bicycle sharing systems. We develop and solve a mathematical model for determining the location and number of vehicle stations, the optimal fleet size and the distribution of bicycles to the stations of a bicycle sharing system, taking into account the user demands and the investment cost. In order to test and validate our approach in realistic settings, we applied the proposed model in the design of a bicycle sharing system in the city of Athens, Greece.