Traffic congestion and air pollution are common and current concerns of urban areas. To solve these problems, municipalities have implemented sustainable mobility plans. Bike sharing schemes (BSSs) have been promoted as an additional tool to encourage sustainable mobility.

Bike-sharing is a bicycle rental system that allows, without additional charge, to take a bicycle in one point and to return it in a different one, where the bicycle can be rented by another user.

Despite the first BSS was implemented in 1968 In Amsterdam, bike-sharing Is a recent way of urban mobility because Its real expansion did not take place until the 21st Century. The first high-technology scheme was introduced in 1996 in Portsmouth (United Kingdom). In 2005 the first large scale project providing a high amount of bike-sharing stations was implemented In Lyon (France). However, the current largest BSS in Europe was initiated in 2007 in Paris (France). Numerous European cities that were impressed by the high use of these systems have followed the example and they have implemented a BSS.

The success of BSSs achieving sustainability goals have been evaluated In this dissertation based on 51 case studies. The positive and negative effects of BSSs on European cities are assessed In terms of mobility, environment, health, traffic safety and economy to obtain their contribution to sustainable mobility.

Furthermore, this dissertation defines the city factors and bike-sharing factors that may increase the success of BSSs and quantifies their influence on the final level of use of BSSs. On the other hand, barriers that can arise when operating BSSs are identified and likely solutions are suggested.