Bike-sharing vs Taxi Travel Choices in Chicago
Written by Xiaolu Zhou, Mingshu Wang, Dongying Li
Published on Elsevier

Bike-sharing vs Taxi Travel Choices in Chicago

🔍 Bike or Taxi? How Chicagoans Choose Their Ride

Ever found yourself staring at your phone, debating whether to grab a bike or hail a taxi? You're not alone. In cities like Chicago, where bike-sharing systems (BSS) and taxis are both popular, understanding why people choose one over the other can help us design better, more sustainable transportation systems. That's exactly what we set out to explore in our recent study. Using machine learning and a treasure trove of data from 2014 to 2016, we uncovered some fascinating insights into how Chicagoans decide between pedaling and hailing. Let’s dive in!

🛠️ How We Did It

We started by collecting data from Chicago’s Divvy bike-sharing system and the city’s taxi trips. Think of it as gathering millions of puzzle pieces—each trip, whether by bike or taxi, gave us clues about when, where, and why people chose one mode over the other. We cleaned up the data (yes, even data needs a good scrub!) and used machine learning to analyze patterns. Specifically, we tested a variety of models, from simple linear regressions to complex neural networks, to predict whether someone would grab a bike or call a cab under different conditions.

Comparison of daily trip numbers between bike-sharing and taxi trips
Figure 1: Daily trip numbers for bike-sharing and taxi trips in Chicago. Notice how bike trips spike in the summer, while taxi trips show a steady decline over time.

đź“Š What We Found

Our analysis revealed some clear trends. First, bike-sharing trips are highly seasonal—Chicagoans love their bikes in the summer but tend to avoid them in the winter. Taxi trips, on the other hand, showed a steady decline over the years, likely due to the rise of ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft.

We also found that travel distance is a big factor in mode choice. For short trips (under 6-8 km), people are more likely to hop on a bike. But once the distance exceeds that threshold, taxis become the preferred option. This makes sense—no one wants to bike 10 km in the rain!

Weather plays a huge role too. Rainy or windy days? Forget the bike. Sunny and calm? Perfect biking weather. And let’s not forget the built environment. Areas with more parks and recreational facilities saw higher bike usage, suggesting that people enjoy biking through scenic routes.

Comparison of daily trip speeds between bike-sharing and taxi trips
Figure 2: Daily trip speeds for bike-sharing and taxi trips. Taxis are generally faster, but there’s an overlap in speeds for shorter trips.

đź’ˇ What This Means for the Future

Our findings have big implications for urban planning and sustainability. For instance, cities could encourage more bike usage by improving bike lane infrastructure, especially in areas with parks and recreational spaces. They could also consider dynamic pricing for bike-sharing systems to make longer trips more appealing.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to expand this research to other cities and incorporate more transportation modes, like public transit and scooters. By understanding how people make travel choices, we can help cities design transportation systems that are not only efficient but also environmentally friendly.

Dominant trip directions for bike-sharing and taxi trips during morning and afternoon rush hours
Figure 3: Dominant trip directions during rush hours. Notice how bike trips radiate away from downtown in the afternoon, while taxi trips extend further into the suburbs.

So, the next time you’re deciding between a bike and a taxi, remember: your choice is part of a bigger picture. And with studies like ours, we’re working to make that picture a little greener and a lot more efficient.