title: Use of a new public bicycle share program in Montreal, Canada.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cycling contributes to physical activity and health. Public bicycle share programs (PBSPs) increase population access to bicycles by deploying bicycles at docking stations throughout a city. Minimal research has systematically examined the prevalence and correlates of PBSP use.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and correlates of use of a new public bicycle share program called BIXI (name merges the word BIcycle and taXI) implemented in May 2009 in Montreal, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2502 adults were recruited to a telephone survey in autumn 2009 via random-digit dialing according to a stratified random sampling design. The prevalence of BIXI bicycle use was estimated. Multivariate logistic regression allowed for identification of correlates of use. Data analysis was conducted in spring and summer 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The unweighted mean age of respondents was 47.4 (SD=16.8) years and 61.4% were female. The weighted prevalence for use of BIXI bicycles at least once was 8.2%. Significant correlates of BIXI bicycle use were having a BIXI docking station within 250 m of home, being aged 18-24 years, being university educated, being on work leave, and using cycling as the primary mode of transportation to work.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A newly implemented public bicycle share program attracts a substantial fraction of the population and is more likely to attract younger and more educated people who currently use cycling as a primary transportation mode.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of the Université de Montréal Hospital Center, Québec, Canada. daniel.lavergne.fuller@umontreal.ca
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gauvin
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kestens
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morency
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Drouin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001642:Bicycling / Q000191:economics; D003625:Data Collection; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011792:Quebec; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014186:Transportation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult