Stochastic optimization models for bike-sharing systems

The bike-sharing system (BSS) aims to provide an alternative smart mobility transportation mode, and it is being widely adopted in urban areas. Due to a high number of sources of uncertainty in demand, travel patterns, and system reliability, stochastic optimization techniques offer a powerful tool for addressing this difficult planning problem. This chapter discusses the definitions of terms/concepts in BSSs and reviews the existing literature on bike-sharing service planning problems under uncertainty with a focus on the bike-sharing allocation and redistribution problem. Different types of parking technology (station-based or free-floating) are considered as well as types of repositioning (static or dynamic) and types of bikes (conventional, electric, or both). Future research directions are also pointed out.