Episode 60: Bike to Bus in Detroit

MoGo bike share in Detroit has been working over the last few years to investigate the bike to bus connection. A 2018 analysis of bike share users showed that comparatively few also were transit riders. Working with local transit providers, MoGo launched a pilot program to offer free bike share access to people purchasing transit passes. The results were fascinating: those who activated their free pass (most of them new to bike share) used the MoGo system more than most existing bike share members. But only a small percentage of transit riders activated the pass.

The results of that pilot program led MoGo, with support from the Better Bike Share Partnership, to work with Wayne State University to survey both bike share users and transit riders, to better understand the barriers to connecting bike share and transit trips. On episode 60 of the Rail~Volution podcast, Jacob Graham, a program manager with MoGo, takes us through the findings of the Connect D bike to bus project and provides an introduction to the mobility landscape in Detroit.

At a time when bike share and scooter programs are in flux, and at a time of exploration of Mobility as a Service, MoGo offers a case study of connecting station-based bike share with a primarily cash-based transit system. The survey results provide insights into rider behavior and preferences for both bike share and transit riders, about their willingness to try other modes, their awareness of the bus and bike share systems and their reasons for using or not using them. Listen to the podcast to hear about the key findings from the survey – related to payment, station location and wayfinding – and how MoGo is drawing on behavioral and demographic data to shape their program.