This dissertation comprises an innovative Relocation Model for free-floating Bicycle Sharing Systems. In such flexible systems, one-way trips can cause fleet imbalances which imply an insufficient demand satisfaction of potentially requested trips. This research grounds on real trip data of a free-floating Bicycle Sharing System in Munich, Germany. With the help of a detailed empirical data analysis, potential gaps between supply – i.e. current fleet distributions – and demand are identified. Based on this analysis, a demand model is developed, which predicts detailed spatial-temporal demand patterns within the operating area and recommends optimal fleet distributions for specific days and time frames. In order to to realize the favored fleet distributions, so called relocation strategies are required. Such strategies enable an efficient redistribution of the fleet. Therefore different strategies are designed and investigated. Firstly, an operator-based relocation strategy is developed: within an optimal relocation route, the operator relocates the unfavorably distributed part of the fleet by visiting under-supplied and over-saturated zones of the operating area in the most cost-efficient way. Secondly, a user-based strategy is designed: in order to incentivize users to relocate parts of the fleet by themselves, discount offers apply to trips with certain origins and destinations. Thirdly, a combination of previous strategies builds up the hybrid relocation strategy: the highly imbalanced zones of the operating area are relocated by a compact operator-based relocation route. Concerning the remaining moderate imbalances, specific discount offers for certain trips make the users redistribute the fleet by themselves. In order to capture the impact and value of such relocations, the different strategies are validated and tested by means of a real time simulation case study. Within a testing period of three months, the different strategies are evaluated referring to efficiency, cost and benefit and optimal relocation intervals. As a conclusion, the hybrid relocation strategy generates the best results. While keeping the cost low, an optimal fleet distribution is mostly maintained so that the demand can be satisfied comprehensively.    «

This dissertation comprises an innovative Relocation Model for free-floating Bicycle Sharing Systems. In such flexible systems, one-way trips can cause fleet imbalances which imply an insufficient demand satisfaction of potentially requested trips. This research grounds on real trip data of a free-floating Bicycle Sharing System in Munich, Germany. With the help of a detailed empirical data analysis, potential gaps between supply – i.e. current fleet distributions – and demand are identified. Ba...    »