SFU researchers reveal how bike sharing could shape future emission reduction policies

While the electrification of passenger vehicles is widely regarded as a key strategy for decarbonizing urban mobility, it is not progressing at a sufficient pace. Alternative transportation, such as biking, offers an economical solution to expedite the transition.

Researchers from SFU’s Collaborative Research on Energy, Air Pollution, Transportation and Environment (CREATE) lab are exploring how Vancouver’s bike-sharing system can shape future emission reduction policies.

Led by sustainable energy engineering (SEE) professor Vahid Hosseini, the team is using AI, vehicle power-based emission calculations and agent-based traffic modeling and life cycle analysis to assess the system’s emission reduction benefits. Funded by Mobi by Rogers, Mitacs and NSERC with support from the City of Vancouver and TransLink, the study examines the potential of bike-sharing to significantly reduce community emissions.

"We are still struggling with traffic congestion, increasing pressure on infrastructure, and the slow rollout of charging networks," says Hosseini. "Micromobility offers a cost-effective and immediate solution to bridge this gap. Our study investigates how much CO₂ can be reduced by shifting trips to bike-sharing. The answer is significant."

Unveiling the Findings: A Major Impact on CO₂ Reduction

To assess the emission reduction of bike-sharing, SEE MASc students and Mobi interns Ali Azimi, Yannick Ntibinsiga and Shedrach Ezenwali led the data collection, modeling, and scenario-building efforts. With the accrual of real-world data from bike trips and Vancouver's trip diary, their analysis demonstrates that the current Mobi by Rogers public bike-sharing system, with 2,600 shared bikes, could reduce CO₂ emissions by as much as 4%. The findings further indicate that in a well-utilized bike-sharing system, each bike is rented multiple times per day, replacing several short car trips daily. In fact, four high-performing shared bikes reduce as much CO₂ as replacing one fossil-fuel car with an electric vehicle. Investment in bike-sharing goes beyond mobility—it is a notable climate solution.

Shaping Future Policies and Incentives

Mobi by Rogers, the City of Vancouver and TransLink representatives commend the research and emphasize the importance of integrating shared mobility into broader decarbonization strategies.

“We’re excited to see more research showing that the Mobi by Rogers bikeshare system is reducing greenhouse gases and supporting the City of Vancouver’s Climate Emergency Action Plan. The Mobi by Rogers e-bike fleet allows more people to choose sustainable transportation and we will continue to work with Mobi by Rogers to advance this vital system” says Paul Storer, Director of Transportation, City of Vancouver.

“At Mobi by Rogers we believe that public bike share is a natural extension of our public transit system, and with public funding we could make it much more affordable, expansive and widely adopted. This research is an exciting step to prove the environmental benefits that public bike sharing provides to the City of Vancouver and potentially the region” states Mia Kohout, CEO, Mobi by Rogers.

“A convenient and affordable bike sharing system, when combined with transit, creates an energy-efficient alternative that increases the attractiveness and competitiveness of sustainable mobility against the automobile” adds TransLink.

Looking ahead, Hosseini and his team are developing policy recommendations to strengthen bike-sharing adoption and maximize its environmental benefits.

These include:

• A city-wide policy to provide the first 30 minutes of every ride free for all Vancouver residents.
• Full electrification of the fleet to reduce the need for rebalancing and operational emissions.
• Reduced rates and an integrated fare system with TransLink to enhance accessibility, encourage adoption, and support first-mile/last-mile connectivity.

"Our goal is to provide concrete policy directions that can be incorporated into our city and province’s updated decarbonization plans by Summer 2025," says Hosseini. "By demonstrating the emission savings, air quality improvements and congestion relief potential of bike sharing, we hope to shift government support toward this sustainable and scalable mobility solution."