WORK PROGRAM
Bluebikes Fare Equity Analysis
March 30, 2023
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) votes to approve this work program.
Not listed in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2023 UPWP
City of Boston
Client Supervisor: Kim Foltz
City of Cambridge
Client Supervisor: Miguel Perez-Luna
City of Somerville
Client Supervisor: Greg Hanafin
Principal: Betsy Harvey
Manager: Emily Domanico
City of Boston Contract
City of Cambridge Contract
City of Somerville Contract
Schedule and budget details are shown in Exhibits 1 and 2, respectively.
This studyis supported in full with non-MPO funding. Committing MPO staff to this project will not impinge on the quality or timeliness of MPO-funded work.
The Bluebikes bikeshare system currently charges riders using a pass-based or a per-ride based fee, where users pay a set cost to access the bikeshare system regardless of travel distance. Many bikeshare systems across the United States, including Washington, DC’s Capital Bikeshare, Philadelphia’s Indego, and Chicago’s Divvy, incorporate a per-minute fee structure for electric bike (e-bike) trips. The Cities of Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge are contracting with the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) to examine the equity implications of potential changes to the Bluebikes fare structure including fare product changes and the impacts of adding e-bikes to the Bluebikes fleet. This study will identify how potential fare changes could affect riders of underserved population groups, including people of color, people with low incomes, and people with limited English proficiency.
Develop a methodology to analyze equity impacts of fare changes to the Bluebikes bikeshare system that reports results using clear, useful metrics for determining whether changes to the fare structure is equitable.
CTPS will coordinate with the Cities of Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge to analyze how potential changes to the Bluebikes fare structure and bike fleet composition will impact riders of underserved population groups. CTPS has conducted an initial feasibility assessment for this project that included a literature review and review of Bluebikes ridership data.
CTPS will develop a methodology to relate trip patterns and bikeshare ridership data to census demographic data. This process will be used to estimate the demographics of Bluebikes riders with consideration for known ridership patterns and limitations in bikeshare rider data. This analysis will be based on trip patterns, limited account-level demographic data, and US census demographic analyses. This work will include estimations of riders of different incomes, minority status, and English language proficiency.
A process to relate rider-level bikeshare data to census demographics that can be used to estimate bikeshare rider demographics
To supplement ridership-based demographic estimates, CTPS will develop a demographic survey to be distributed digitally and in person to bikeshare riders. CTPS will use this survey to verify ridership-based demographic estimates.
CTPS will develop the survey instrument and the sampling plan. The survey will be designed to collect responses on rider demographic information and awareness of Bluebikes fare products. CTPS will coordinate with the clients to distribute the survey to Bluebikes account holders via the internet. To complement internet-based survey distribution, CTPS will conduct in-person rider surveys around Bluebikes stations according to the sampling plan. CTPS will digitize in-person survey responses and upload them to a database. All survey responses will be combined and weighted to Bluebikes ridership and fare product usage. CTPS will produce aggregate summary survey results.
CTPS will compare survey demographic results to ridership-based demographic estimates. If necessary, CTPS will use survey demographics to systematically adjust ridership-based demographic estimates.
CTPS staff will develop a method to project the impacts of fare changes on ridership patterns based on a literature review of research on bikeshare fare elasticity and an analysis of Bluebikes ridership changes due to changes in fares. To determine appropriate elasticities, CTPS will analyze ridership impacts based on previous fare changes in the Bluebikes system and other bikeshare systems where comparable. The analysis will consider the interaction of fare elasticity and different demographic populations. Fare elasticity projections will be compatible with the rider demographic estimation process.
A process to model fare elasticity in fare equity analyses including documentation for how elasticities are identified
CTPS will analyze the equity impacts of introducing e-bikes to the Bluebikes bikeshare system by focusing on two primary variables: (1) availability of e-bikes throughout the system, and (2) the fare structure associated with e-bikes. CTPS will develop a process to estimate how the geographic distribution of e-bikes throughout the fleet and their pricing structure could affect trip-making patterns of different demographic populations. To produce projected fare equity impacts, CTPS will quantify how much e-bike travel could cost riders under up to five different fare structures including per-minute travel cost, base-fare and per-minute costs, and membership fee plus per-minute costs.
A sensitivity analysis of projected impacts of the geographic distribution of e-bikes and the pricing structure on quantity of trips made, rider minutes traveled, and average fare per trip by demographic group
Applying processes developed in tasks 1 and 2, CTPS will build a model based on rider-level bikeshare trip-patterns that (1) prices travel based on the existing fare structure and (2) projects ridership changes in proposed fare change scenarios. Fare change scenarios will include price changes to existing fare products, potential retirement of existing fare products, and the introduction of new fare products. The modeling process will track projected impacts to the quantity of trips made, rider minutes traveled, and average fare per trip by demographic group. CTPS will coordinate with the clients to define up to five scenarios to evaluate in a sensitivity analysis.
A sensitivity analysis of how fare changes affect metrics across identified demographic groups.
CTPS will develop an interactive report that can recalculate reporting metrics as changes are made to Bluebikes system variables, such as fare product prices and the number of e-bikes in the Bluebikes fleet.
An interactive report, hosted on CTPS’ ShinyApps account, and access to supporting materials to set up and run the interactive report locally.
Staff will document the methodology and the results of this study.
A memorandum detailing the methodology and the results of the work completed as part of this work program
CTPS will support the clients with the usage of the interactive report including support to set up and run the interactive report.
|
Task |
Month | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
|
1.
Estimate demographics of riders
|
From Month 1, Week 1 to Month 3, Week 4.
|
|||||||||||
|
2.
Conduct demographic survey
|
From Month 1, Week 1 to Month 4, Week 4.
Deliverable
A
Delivered by Month 4, Week 4.
|
|||||||||||
|
3.
Estimate fare elasticity impacts
|
From Month 1, Week 1 to Month 3, Week 4.
|
|||||||||||
|
4.
Model equity impacts from e-bikes
|
From Month 3, Week 1 to Month 6, Week 4.
|
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|
5.
Model fare change scenarios
|
From Month 3, Week 1 to Month 6, Week 4.
|
|||||||||||
|
6.
Develop interactive report
|
From Month 4, Week 3 to Month 7, Week 4.
Deliverable
B
Delivered by Month 7, Week 4.
|
|||||||||||
|
7.
Document results
|
From Month 4, Week 3 to Month 7, Week 4.
Deliverable
C
Delivered by Month 7, Week 4.
|
|||||||||||
|
8.
Ongoing support
|
From Month 8, Week 1 to Month 12, Week 4.
|
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|
Task |
Person-Weeks |
Direct
Salary |
Overhead
(119.34%) |
Total
Cost |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | P-5 | P-4 | P-2 | P-1 | Temp | Total | ||||
|
1.
Estimate demographics of riders
|
0.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.8 | $3,883 | $4,634 | $8,517 |
|
2.
Conduct demographic survey
|
0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 5.6 | 9.3 | $9,586 | $11,439 | $21,025 |
|
3.
Estimate fare elasticity impacts
|
0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | $2,862 | $3,416 | $6,279 |
|
4.
Model equity impacts from e-bikes
|
0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.8 | $5,126 | $6,118 | $11,244 |
|
5.
Model fare change scenarios
|
0.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.8 | $9,322 | $11,125 | $20,447 |
|
6.
Develop interactive report
|
0.0 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.9 | $4,191 | $5,001 | $9,192 |
|
7.
Document results
|
2.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | $7,188 | $8,579 | $15,767 |
|
8.
Ongoing support
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | $1,613 | $1,926 | $3,539 |
|
Total
|
2.5 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 19.6 | 0.3 | 5.6 | 32.8 | $43,772 | $52,238 | $96,010 |
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