Public attention and attitudes towards bike-sharing in China: A text mining approach

This study aims to investigate the public attention and attitude towards shared bikes (SBs) in China. More than 721,000 posts collected from Sina Weibo (one of the most popular social media platforms) from January 2017 to August 2023 have been analyzed utilizing an analytical framework comprising statistical and temporal analysis, sentiment analysis, and topic analysis methods. The results reveal a consistent upward trend in public interest since 2018, with high engagement from the media, education, and institutional sectors, and greater interest from women and younger Weibo users. Economically developed regions with supportive policies and flat terrain, such as Beijing, Guangdong, and Shanghai, exhibit a higher level of public attention. Sentiment analysis indicates an overall positive public attitude, primarily driven by discounted monthly passes, but there are negative sentiments arising from improper parking management practices. The results are expected to be helpful for improving the SB system and informing relevant policy-making.