# SmartFlow Reinforcement Learning and Agentic AI for Bike-Sharing Optimisation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.00868 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.00868/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Reinforcement learning for LLM agents, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 3 of its 24 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 30 Dec 2025.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [Reinforcement learning for LLM agents](https://mlsanity.com/agents/reinforcement-learning-for-llm-agents/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03629/) (2022)
- [Dual Policy Reinforcement Learning for Real-time Rebalancing in Bike-sharing Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.00868/) (2024)
- [Towards Dynamic Urban Bike Usage Prediction for Station Network Reconfiguration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2008.07318/) (2020)

## Abstract (arXiv)

SmartFlow is a multi-layered framework that integrates Reinforcement Learning and Agentic AI to address the dynamic rebalancing problem in urban bike-sharing services. Its architecture separates strategic, tactical, and communication functions for clarity and scalability. At the strategic level, a Deep Q-Network (DQN) agent, trained in a high-fidelity simulation of New Yorks Citi Bike network, learns robust rebalancing policies by modelling the challenge as a Markov Decision Process. These high-level strategies feed into a deterministic tactical module that optimises multi-leg journeys and schedules just-in-time dispatches to minimise fleet travel. Evaluation across multiple seeded runs demonstrates SmartFlows high efficacy, reducing network imbalance by over 95% while requiring minimal travel distance and achieving strong truck utilisation. A communication layer, powered by a grounded Agentic AI with a Large Language Model (LLM), translates logistical plans into clear, actionable instructions for operational staff, ensuring interpretability and execution readiness. This integration bridges machine intelligence with human operations, offering a scalable solution that reduces idle time, improves bike availability, and lowers operational costs. SmartFlow provides a blueprint for interpretable, AI-driven logistics in complex urban mobility networks.