The Bikeshare Planning Guide

Financial Model

A woman in Kaohsiung uses a station kiosk to rent a bikeshare bike. Source: Carlos Felipe Pardo

The financial model assigns dollar amounts to both the responsibilities (expenses) and rights
(revenue) of each of the entities in the business model, including the government. The
expectations enumerated in the financial model must also be written into the contract or
permit. The financial model for a bikeshare system typically includes capital costs (bikes,
stations, IT systems, maintenance and rebalancing equipment, etc.), operating costs
(rebalancing bikes, staffing, maintenance, customer service), and revenue streams, and will be
important for predicting and maximizing the long-term financial sustainability of the system.

Interested in learning more about optimizing dockless bikeshare for cities? Check out ITDP's dockless bikeshare policy brief.

View Policy Brief