Analysis of age, gender and socio-economic level of the time of use of the Val?ncia bike-sharing system

Bicycle sharing systems (BSS) are one of the forms of active transport that has gained popularity in recent decades for the promotion of physical activity and healthy lifestyles among the population. There are very few studies in Spain that address this reality. Therefore, the aim of this study is to know the socioeconomic characteristics (i.e. socioeconomic level, gender and age) of the people who use the BSS in the city of Valencia and their relationship with the time spent using the BSS. Our database contained the total movements of 6946 users (4484 men; 2262 women) of the Valencia BSS over a period of 1 year. A descriptive analysis, pairwise comparisons (Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests) were performed on data with non-normal distribution. The results of the study showed significant differences in time of use by gender (p < 0.01), age (p < 0.01), and socioeconomic level (p < 0.01). Women use Valencia BSS less than men, older people use the BSS more time than younger people, and people with a lower socioeconomic level have a higher usage than people with a high and medium socio-economic level. Mobility policies should take these differences into account when designing active transport programs for the population.