Understanding the route choice preferences of private and dock-based public bike users using GPS data in Seoul, South Korea

Analyzing route preferences is crucial for comprehending how individuals choose their travel paths, assessing road facilities, and anticipating upcoming traffic conditions. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing route selections made by private and public bike users and compare their decisions during peak and off-peak hours. Global positioning system (GPS) traces of 12,106 private bike users and 74,397 public bike users from a single weekday in Seoul, South Korea, were used. A map-matching process aligned the GPS data with a comprehensive cycling network encompassing bikeways, sidewalks, neighborhood roads, and their street attributes such as urban, park, and river streets. Choice sets composed of the shortest and 10th alternative routes were created to compare various road features with actual routes. By employing a path-size logit model to address overlapping issues among the routes, the results showed that buffered bike lanes separated from car flows positively influenced the route selection of bicyclists. Bike boulevards and shared sidewalk bikeways negatively impacted route decisions made by public bike users, with a more pronounced effect during peak hours. Furthermore, private bike users showed a decreased preference for routes in residential areas during peak hours, while an increased preference during off-peak hours. Moreover, public bike users preferred selecting routes in the presence of shopping-stores or amenities as well as public transit stations, with these effects being more pronounced during peak hours. These findings are expected to contribute to capturing valuable insights into the route preferences of bicyclists for the improvement of bicycle infrastructures.