Enhancing Urban Mobility: Bicycle and Rail Transport Integration in Istanbul's Districts

Cities need to face the difficulties of population increase, physical development, and rapid socioeconomic change head-on, especially with regard to the growing demand for transportation. Therefore, integrating clean transportation options, such as bicycles, into public transportation systems is essential. Bicycles are viable alternatives for short and medium-distance journeys, necessitating strategic planning and integration with rail transport systems. In this study, the integration of the bicycle rental system (Isbike) with Marmaray, Metro, and Tramway stations is examined. The field survey was carried out in six districts of Istanbul: Kadıkoy, Maltepe, Umraniye, Besiktas, Florya, and Atakoy. The research was carried out in three stages: (i) DepthMapX software and Open Street Map data to analyze using Space Syntax; (ii) bicycle route creation using Isbike station and IBB railway transportation data; and (iii) bicycle riders' survey-based evaluation of these routes based on physical, environmental, and visual criteria. The findings point to the possibility of space syntactic techniques for examining the physical layout of the city and assessing how well bicycle lanes integrate with the rail system, so recommending methods for better bikeability in urban planning.