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. Read more...
Introduction & Background
Launched in 2023 with funding support from MobiBike, Mitacs, and NSERC, this project aims to evaluate the emission reduction potential of Vancouver’s bike-sharing system. Three MASc students—Ali Azimi (emission reduction modeling), Yannick Ntibinsiga (agent-based traffic modeling), and Shedrach Ezenwali (life cycle analysis)—are leading the research. The project’s goal is to develop advanced analytical tools to quantify potential reductions in CO₂ and air pollution emissions, ultimately informing science-based policy scenarios that promote micro-mobility as a viable pathway toward zero-emission urban transportation.
Progress & Preliminary Findings
The research team has integrated extensive datasets from MobiBike, the City of Vancouver, and TransLink’s trip diary to build multiple models, including emission submodels, an agent-based traffic model, and a life cycle analysis (LCA). Preliminary results indicate that despite Vancouver’s relatively limited bike-sharing fleet (~2,600 bikes), the system has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 4% of total urban transportation emissions within areas covered by the bike network. Additionally, findings suggest that four e-bikes can achieve the same CO₂ reduction impact as replacing one fossil-fuel vehicle with an electric vehicle (EV). Notably, this calculation focuses solely on tailpipe emissions and does not account for upstream CO₂ emissions associated with EV production and charging infrastructure.
Next Steps
These findings highlight the substantial role that bike-sharing systems can play in advancing cost-effective urban decarbonization strategies, particularly in dense cities like Vancouver. Stay tuned for a public workshop in Summer 2025, where the team will share further insights and policy recommendations.
Next Steps
These findings highlight the substantial role that bike-sharing systems can play in advancing cost-effective urban decarbonization strategies, particularly in dense cities like Vancouver. Stay tuned for a public workshop in Summer 2025, where the team will share further insights and policy recommendations.
The project data flow:
