Facilitators and barriers to public bike share adoption and success in a city with compulsory helmet legislation: A mixed-methods approach

Public bike share (PBS) programs offer a flexible and convenient transport option that may also offer public health benefits from increased physical activity. Emerging evidence suggests several factors as important to bike share use, but little data exists from users where bicycle helmets are required. We completed two surveys, one a randomised telephone survey of Vancouver residents (n=901), and the other an observational survey of helmet use amongst cyclists in downtown Vancouver (n=4126). We also conducted a content analysis of print news articles to identify bike share topics and framing (n=62). We found that infrastructure and weather would be the most important considerations to bike share users. Overall, helmet use was high, but varied by personal and trip characteristics. The news media reported bike share topics in line with new policy developments, but framing depended on the media source. These findings suggest that efforts to increase system uptake should target the cycling infrastructure environment.