Search

In Poland, bicycle traffic is on the rise. Over the last 10 years the share of bicycle trips in Warsaw has increased from 0.9% to 3.1%. This development is accompanied by an increase in incidents i...

Cycling facilities have become a widely used sustainable transportation policy tool, but their impacts on reduced car dependence are difficult to isolate. This paper presents the findings from a household survey conducted in 17 neighbourhoods in the Toronto region, Canada, some with a recently built cycling facility and some without. Results indicate higher odds of increased commute-related bicycling on streets with a new cycling facility. People who were already commuting by bicycle at least once a week are likely to bicycle more frequently after new facilities are built. Bicycling uptake is more obvious in neighbourhhods with a new cycle track, while changes relating to bicycle lanes were not statistically different from neighbourhoods without a facility. All else being equal, urban cycling facilities were associated with higher odds of increased commute-related bicycling, compared to suburban locations. Findings offer insights into expected outcomes of bicycle network expansion policy/projects.

Cycling as a mode of transportation is increasingly being advocated due to the many positive effects it has on people’s health, the environment and to counteract increasing congestion on the transportation infrastructure. There is a long tradition of using cycling as a mode of transportation among the Danish public and this is widespread across people with different socio-demographic characteristics. Copenhagen has an extensive network of cycling facilities and is often used as a role model for other large cities when developing cycling facilities. This setting provides a unique basis for investigating bicycle commuters’ preferences for route characteristics and crowding in particular, which is not studied before, but likely to become an issue around the world’s cities with increases in number of bicyclists. The study is based on a choice experiment of 3891 active cyclists in Copenhagen. The investigated attributes are cycle track, crowding, stops, environment/road type, green surroundings, and travel distance which is used as a payment vehicle to gain more desirable route characteristics. On average people state that they are willing to cycle 1.84 km longer if the route has a designated cycle track, and 0.8 km more if there are green surroundings too. Stops and crowding, based on number of cyclists on the route, have significant negative impacts on people’s utility of a given route. People were willing to cycle one kilometre longer to avoid high levels of crowding and approximately 1.3 km longer to avoid routes with many stops. The most attractive road environment is a segregated path only for cyclists closely followed by shopping street. Looking into heterogeneity, we find that people who own a car have less disutility of cycling additional distance. The results may support future decision making when creating new infrastructure for cycling in cities by addressing the perceived importance of facilities and crowding in a population where commute cycling is very widespread.

The subject of the paper is a brief description of the state of bicycle transport in the region of South Bohemia, the analysis of planning and financing its development. The aim of the paper is to outline the issue of cycling infrastructure in urban and interurban planning, especially in view of methods for determining the share of bicycle transport on modal split within the specific area. The paper includes possibilities of obtaining data about bicycle traffic and outlines the steps to perform manual bike flow counting on a specific project in the city of Ceske Budejovice.

Cycling comfort consists of several factors. Their relevant values are important in the process of bicycle facility planning. Poor surface pavement quality manifests itself in terms of vibrations of a bicycle. This strongly influences the perception of a cycle track, general cycling comfort and the route choice as well. We introduce dynamic comfort index (DCI) which is capable of objectively describing the vibration properties of surface pavement on a track. The DCI is derived from data gathered when riding a bicycle equipped with a GPS device and an accelerometer. The most common types of devices were selected to make the DCI widely applicable. We tested DCI values on various bicycles and surface pavements. DCI values on individual cycling tracks were compared with the subjective feelings of 43 cyclists via questionnaires. A strong correlation (−0.94) was obtained between the objectively measured DCI values and the subjectively assessed evaluations. This makes the DCI approach transferable to any other environment. This method has been applied to an entire road network within the historical center of the city of Olomouc (Czech Republic). It can further be used by bicycle track administrators to monitor surface quality, by planners to obtain relevant surface pavement values, and by individual cyclists for optimal route choice.

China has a historic system of wide cycle tracks, many of which are now encroached by cars, buses and bus stops. Even with these conditions, college students still bicycle. On campuses, students park their bikes on facilities ranging from kick-stand-plazas to caged sheds with racks, pumps and an attendant. In other countries, including Canada, some of the newer cycle tracks need to be wider to accommodate an increasing number of bicyclists. Other countries will also need to improve their bike parking, which includes garage-basement cages and two-tiered racks. China could provide lessons about cycle tracks and bike parking. This study applied the Maslow Transportation Level of Service (LOS) theory, i.e., for cycle tracks and bike parking, only after the basic needs of safety and security are met for both vehicle occupants and bicyclists can the higher needs of convenience and comfort be met. With random clustering, a self-administered questionnaire was collected from 410 students in six dormitory buildings at Peking University in Beijing and an environmental scan of bicycle parking conducted in school/office and living areas. Cycle tracks (1 = very safe/5 = very unsafe) shared with moving cars were most unsafe (mean = 4.6), followed by sharing with parked cars (4.1) or bus stop users (4.1) (p < 0.001). Close to half thought campus bike parking lacked order. The most suggested parking facilities were sheds, security (guard or camera), bicycle racks and bicycle parking services (pumps, etc.). If parking were improved, three quarters indicated they would bicycle more. While caged sheds were preferred, in living areas with 1597 parked bikes, caged sheds were only 74.4% occupied. For the future of China’s wide cycle tracks, perhaps a fence-separated bus lane beside a cycle track might be considered or, with China’s recent increase in bike riding, shared bikes and E-bikes, perhaps cars/buses could be banned from the wide cycle tracks. In other countries, a widened cycle track entrance should deter cars. Everywhere, bike parking sheds could be built and redesigned with painted lines to offer more space and order, similar to car parking.

The fruition of a natural or anthropic territory depends basically by the access and moving condition inside the area. These aspects are related both to the paths network characteristics, like slopes and road accessibility, crossing methods and usability. In addition, a second aspect, which combine all the firsts, is represented by the way in which humans decide to experience this territory, creating a relationship between the way of thinking and movement, contextualizing their thought identity with the external environment. Starting from an analysis that consider both the relation between thought and movement, merging personal and collective identity, and the historical evolution of human’s walking and cycling, the article suggests a critical analysis about accessibility of an urban area close to Rome centre, using drawing and representation tools to support and visualize this process, in order to suggest a simplified and optimized territory access, meanwhile trying to keep alive and foster the basic connection between thinking and movement.

Objective To assess preference differences of females, bicyclists, bicyclists/non-bicyclists, and >3 days/week bicyclists about cycle tracks, surrounding environments, parking, signals, and bicycle type among middle class professionals in Hangzhou, a premier bicycling city in China. Methods Surveys were distributed to 1200 middle school students that 1150 parents/adults completed (95.8% completion rate). Multiple linear regression was used to study associations between frequency of bicycling and age, gender, education, income, obesity, and car ownership. Results Cycle tracks were a maximum of 15 feet wide, enabling side-by-side bicycling, with continuous landscaped islands a maximum of 7 feet wide between the road and the cycle track with trees over 40 years old. Almost all knew how to bicycle, 77% of men and 72% of women owned a car, and, of these car owners, 43.8% bicycled each week. Only 47.1% of men and 55.1% of women did not bicycle. Bicycling was deemed enjoyable due to the beautiful surrounding environment (52.7% strongly agreed/agreed). Gender differences were statistically significant for preferring bicycle signals (63.7% men, 69.1% women) and cycle tracks (53.9% men, 60.2% women). Used/preferred differences were statistically significant for bicycle signals (33.8% used versus 71.4% preferred), parking sheds (39.8% used versus 62.7% preferred) and cycle tracks (34.4% used versus 58.6% preferred). Percentages for overweight were significantly different between owning a car (28.8%) and not owning a car (21.0%). Conclusions Cities could test other city׳s innovations including parking sheds, bicycle signals, public bicycles, and wide-landscaped cycle tracks with trees between the cycle track and the road.

Where there are high turn volumes or speeds, pedestrian and bicycle crossings may need to be protected from right turns as well as left turns. Cycle tracks may need protected crossings even where right-turn volumes are modest. This research explores a phasing scheme in which right turns have their own phase and bike and pedestrian crossings run in their own distinct phase concurrent with the parallel vehicular through phase. This protected yet concurrent phasing scheme is more efficient than an all-pedestrian phase. A general framework for sequencing phases accounting for the right turn and crossing conflict is shown with four rings instead of the usual two. Seven examples of protected yet concurrent phasing from the United States and the Netherlands illustrate the scheme and characterize its likely impacts in terms of delay and street footprint. Overall delay and footprint impacts are found to be modest; factors that affect the impact of protected phasing include complexity of the phasing plan, coordinat...

Two innovative bicycle facilities were installed in Washington, D.C., during 2010 by the District Department of Transportation: buffered center median bicycle lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, and a two-way cycle track on 15th Street, NW. Both facilities included dedicated road space with buffers between bicyclists and motor vehicles, signal control, and signs and pavement markings. The facilities were designed to increase safety, comfort, and convenience for cyclists. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive study that evaluated the facilities to understand how well they worked for cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians in terms of safety and level of service (LOS) and how they affected behavior and attitudes. The study found that bicycle LOS improved and that bicycle volume on those corridors nearly quadrupled, well above the rate of citywide bicycle use. Motor vehicle LOS was largely unaffected. Signal progression was mixed for bicyclists: contraflow travel on the one-way portion of 15th Street and travel against the dominant direction on Pennsylvania Avenue showed the worst travel time performances. Although bicycle crashes increased on both facilities, the crash rate remained similar on 15th Street to what it had been previously. Pennsylvania Avenue saw a higher crash rate, mainly as a result of illegal U-turns across the bike lanes. In surveys of all travelers on the corridor (i.e., bicyclists, motorists, pedestrians) and nearby residents, the perception of the lanes in general was positive for all users, and the lanes were seen as a positive addition to the community.

Maps are currently experiencing a paradigm shift from static representations to dynamic platforms that capture, visualize and analyse new data, bringing different possibilities for exploration and research. The first objective of this paper is to present a map that illustrates, for the first time, the real flow of casual cyclists and bike messengers in the city of Madrid. The second objective is to describe the development and results of the Madrid Cycle Track initiative, an online platform launched with the aim of collecting cycling routes and other information from volunteers. In the framework of this initiative, different online maps are presented and their functionalities described. Finally, a supplemental video visualizes the cyclist flow over the course of a day.

In this paper we explore the air pollution levels along types of bicycle facilities using a NO2 land use model previously developed for Montreal. We explore potential associations between bicycle volumes through signalized intersections and pollution levels at those intersections. We further investigate this relationship through the comparison of over thirty cycling corridors as well as an evaluation of the potential exposure of cyclists to air pollution along five routes. We observe NO2 concentrations to be positively correlated with bicycle flows at the intersection level. We also observe that corridors with either a bicycle path or cycle track generally rank higher in terms of bicycle volume and also have higher NO2 concentrations than corridors without bicycle facilities. This indicates that intersections and bicycle facilities with a large number of cyclists are also those characterized with the highest air pollution levels.

In the early fall of 2009, the Bureau of Transportation in Portland, Oregon, installed a cycle track and a pair of buffered bike lanes in downtown Portland. A major objective was to test facilities that were thought to bring higher levels of comfort to bicycle riders through increased separation from motor vehicle traffic. After one year of use, an evaluation was conducted to determine how the facilities affected the experience of the various users. Intercept surveys of cyclists (n = 248), motorists (n = 262), pedestrians (n = 198), and adjacent businesses (n = 59) showed improved perceptions of safety and comfort among cyclists, particularly women. Cyclists also preferred the new facilities to alternative routes and facility types. Both motorists and cyclists liked the additional separation of users. Motorists were more likely to attribute additional travel delays and inconvenience to the facilities; this attitude was especially true for motorists who never rode a bicycle and those surveyed on the buffered bike lane facility. Pedestrians liked the increased separation from traffic but had concerns about interactions with cyclists when crossing the cycle track. Businesses expressed support for these and other new bicycle facilities but had concerns about parking and deliveries.

In this study, the safety of cyclists at unsignalized priority intersections within built-up areas is investigated. The study focuses on the link between the characteristics of priority intersection design and bicycle-motor vehicle (BMV) crashes. Across 540 intersections that are involved in the study, the police recorded 339 failure-to-yield crashes with cyclists in four years. These BMV crashes are classified into two types based on the movements of the involved motorists and cyclists: • type I: through bicycle related collisions where the cyclist has right of way (i.e. bicycle on the priority road); • type II: through motor vehicle related collisions where the motorist has right of way (i.e. motorist on the priority road). The probability of each crash type was related to its relative flows and to independent variables using negative binomial regression. The results show that more type I crashes occur at intersections with two-way bicycle tracks, well marked, and reddish coloured bicycle crossings. Type I crashes are negatively related to the presence of raised bicycle crossings (e.g. on a speed hump) and other speed reducing measures. The accident probability is also decreased at intersections where the cycle track approaches are deflected between 2 and 5m away from the main carriageway. No significant relationships are found between type II crashes and road factors such as the presence of a raised median.

Most individuals prefer bicycling separated from motor traffic. However, cycle tracks (physically separated bicycle-exclusive paths along roads, as found in The Netherlands) are discouraged in the USA by engineering guidance that suggests that facilities such as cycle tracks are more dangerous than the street. The objective of this study conducted in Montreal (with a longstanding network of cycle tracks) was to compare bicyclist injury rates on cycle tracks versus in the street. For six cycle tracks and comparable reference streets, vehicle/bicycle crashes and health record injury counts were obtained and use counts conducted. The relative risk (RR) of injury on cycle tracks, compared with reference streets, was determined. Overall, 2.5 times as many cyclists rode on cycle tracks compared with reference streets and there were 8.5 injuries and 10.5 crashes per million bicycle-kilometres. The RR of injury on cycle tracks was 0.72 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.85) compared with bicycling in reference streets. These data suggest that the injury risk of bicycling on cycle tracks is less than bicycling in streets. The construction of cycle tracks should not be discouraged.

Three hundred well-designed empirical studies were examined to provide guidance on how specific strategies can influence walking or cycling for travel: community design, infrastructure availability, infrastructure quality, programming, pricing, and combined strategies. Urban environments with high levels of walking and cycling for travel typically represent a combination of many factors that help promote these modes. The most compelling argument, particularly for cycling, is that only via an integrated range of built environmental features (including infrastructure and facility improvements), pricing policies, or education programmes will substantive changes result. This has been undertaken in Netherlands, Denmark, and parts of Germany for decades. By linking research to practical advice, the article fills a gap between (a) the many excellent literature reviews pointing to where further research is needed and (b) useful practice-oriented guidelines based on experience.

Thanks to the efforts of engineers, divers, contractors, government agencies, and preservation-oriented nonprofit organizations, the historically important PoughkeepsieHighland Railroad Bridge has ...

This study employs United States census data to analyze changes in bicycle commuting between 1990 and 2000 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. area. A variety of perspectives are used to understand the impact of newly created facilities. The evidence suggests that bicycle facilities significantly impact levels of bicycle commuting, although the results are not totally free of uncertainty. For example, areas near new bicycle facilities showed considerably more of an increase in bicycle mode share than areas farther away. Observing increased cycling due to these physical interventions provides a starting point to which future research could add detail that would be needed to guide infrastructure investment.

This paper compares the Institution of Highways and Transportation (IHT) Guidelines for Cycle Audit and Cycle Review with two methods of assessment based on research into perceptions of risk by cycle users in a study of fifteen routes from ten origins into Chester, the county town of Cheshire. One method uses risk ratings for components of a journey and the other uses variables based on generic features of the journey. The most direct route and a reasonable alternative were analysed for five origins. A large range of review scores from the IHT, risk rating and generic feature methods was estimated, demonstrating widely varying circumstances for cycle traffic including routes that were both heavily motor trafficked or were traffic free. Very strong correlation was found between the risk rating method and the IHT method (−0·877); moderate correlation was found between the generic feature method and the IHT method (−0·564). Based on the ease of use of the risk rating and generic feature methods, it is recommended that these are used more extensively for cycle route assessment. It is also recommended that the IHT guidelines are developed further to allow for a full and proper estimate of the impact of large junctions on routes. Further, it is recommended that more work be undertaken on the perceptions of risk of cycle users in order to determine coefficients for a wider range of carriageway and junction types.

Many roadways in urban areas, especially dense commercial areas, are subjected to on-street and adjacent off-street parking demands; local access through driveways is an essential component of these complex urban corridors. Vehicles entering and exiting these driveways–-and their interaction with parked cars, other moving motorized vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians–-present challenges for a safe and efficient roadway corridor. The location and the design of these driveways, together with parking and bicycle facilities, generate sight distance challenges that affect pedestrians and bicyclists. This paper investigates the type and nature of impacts–-including conflicts, sight distance, operations, and safety at driveway locations–-as they relate to pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. It also analyzes design geometrics that may help to provide adequate sight distance for safety at driveways with and without bicycle lanes present. Parked vehicles often obstruct drivers’ view of approaching motor vehicles and bicycles. In many locations, vehicles exiting driveways must edge out into the active travel way for the driver to have an unobstructed view. Driveway location and design analysis demonstrate the value of bicycle lanes in providing enhanced sight distance. Current practices permit longitudinal placement of on-street parking too close to driveways. For safety reasons, agencies should consider excluding on-street parking on roads with bicycle lanes when speeds exceed 30 mph so as to provide adequate sight distance without creating sporadic on-street parking spacing. Roads without bicycle lanes often do not provide adequate stopping sight distance at on-street parking driveway locations when motor vehicle operating speeds exceed 25 mph.

As part of the move towards sustainable transport and urban mobility practices, increased cycle use is commonly advocated as a factor in this modal shift. New developments in cycle technology are beginning to introduce new classes of cycles and other human powered vehicles as options within a wider advocacy of cycling for urban mobility and which may offer advantages and greater opportunity for users. However, these innovations may also raise questions for the design and construction of the built environment such as cycle tracks and access barriers. Drawing on a SCOT approach, this paper therefore examines the implications of some innovatory cycle designs and the limitations on their deployment that may arise through the interaction with wider design environments

Public health initiatives have made important but relatively modest gains through individual-level and nonecological health-promotion efforts aimed at increasing physical activity. The previously overlooked built environment is now being considered as facilitating or hindering one's ability to be active. The multiuse greenway is an example of a facility that can support physical activity, but its level of use may be influenced by the accessibility characteristics of the areas surrounding the greenway. In this study, an unobtrusive methodology using GPS and GIS technology was employed to test whether two variables used to measure accessibility, proximity (population density) and opportunities (land-use mixture), predicted the use of greenway segments. The results presented here allow us to confirm that smaller walking and bicycling scales of analysis are better predictors of physical-activity behavior. The results also suggest that solely bringing environmental support for physical activity closer to concentrated areas of population does not necessarily equate to more use. It is important that areas with increased population density have correspondingly increased levels of land-use mixture if increasing physical activity is the goal.

The “single file” and “side-by-side” travel characteristics of bicyclists and pedestrians should be considered for the determination of stopping sight distances, horizontal sightline offsets, and minimum lengths of vertical curves for bike paths. This paper describes these unique travel behaviors and classifies them into two cases (Case I and Case II) for geometric design. It presents a set of new design equations and charts that consider these two design cases and introduces design methods to supplement current AASHTO standards and guidelines. The paper then provides a practical procedure for using the new charts and equations for design of bike paths. It is recommended that the new analytical means of evaluating the effect of side-by-side riding on geometric design of bike paths should be included in the revision of the AASHTO Bike Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities.

This study evaluates individual preferences for five different cycling environments by trading off a better facility with a higher travel time against a less attractive facility at a lower travel time. The tradeoff of travel time to amenities of a particular facility informs our understanding of the value attached to different attributes such as bike-lanes, off-road trails, or side-street parking. The facilities considered here are off-road facilities, in-traffic facilities with bike-lane and no on-street parking, in-traffic facilities with a bike-lane and on-street parking, in-traffic facilities with no bike-lane and no on-street parking and in-traffic facilities with no bike-lane but with parking on the side. We find that respondents are willing to travel up to twenty minutes more to switch from an unmarked on-road facility with side parking to an off-road bicycle trail, with smaller changes associated with less dramatic improvements.

While most transit-oriented development (TOD) is oriented toward rail, bus stations can also serve as centers of TODs. The El Monte, California, bus station (EMBS), around which a transit village has been proposed, is examined. The village would have little impact on the surrounding community, though, without improvements in access to the EMBS. With a 1-km ring as the potential sphere of influence, theoretically no one can walk, bicycle, or ride a shuttle bus to the station, given impedances such as major street crossings and lengthy feeder shuttle headways. With construction of two pedestrian bridges and signing and lighting improvements along an adjacent bicycle path, the number of residents in the SOI would rise to potentially 40,800, with two-thirds of them within a 5-km bicycle ride of the EMBS. The proposed improvements might cost about $5 million. To connect the EMBS to a business park and Metrolink rail station located just outside the ring, an automated people mover (APM) is proposed. The APM would serve the roughly 5,000 employees of the business park, and it would facilitate transfers between the EMBS, Metrolink, and the proposed Silver Line (light rail to terminate at the Metrolink station). The APM would cost more than $30 million, but it could enhance transit use, local development, and real estate values. For areas within the ring not affected by the improvements, shuttle bus services need reorientation. The importance of pedestrian connectivity is emphasized, as are the cost-effectiveness of bicycling improvements, ideal setting for an APM, need for streamlined shuttle bus service, and importance of multiple access modes.

Cities in North America have been building bicycle infrastructure, in particular cycle tracks, with the intention of promoting urban cycling and improving cyclist safety. These facilities have been built and expanded but very little research has been done to investigate the safety impacts of cycle tracks, in particular at intersections, where cyclists interact with turning motor-vehicles. Some safety research has looked at injury data and most have reached the conclusion that cycle tracks have positive effects of cyclist safety. The objective of this work is to investigate the safety effects of cycle tracks at signalized intersections using a case–control study. For this purpose, a video-based method is proposed for analyzing the post-encroachment time as a surrogate measure of the severity of the interactions between cyclists and turning vehicles travelling in the same direction. Using the city of Montreal as the case study, a sample of intersections with and without cycle tracks on the right and left sides of the road were carefully selected accounting for intersection geometry and traffic volumes. More than 90 h of video were collected from 23 intersections and processed to obtain cyclist and motor-vehicle trajectories and interactions. After cyclist and motor-vehicle interactions were defined, ordered logit models with random effects were developed to evaluate the safety effects of cycle tracks at intersections. Based on the extracted data from the recorded videos, it was found that intersection approaches with cycle tracks on the right are safer than intersection approaches with no cycle track. However, intersections with cycle tracks on the left compared to no cycle tracks seem to be significantly safer. Results also identify that the likelihood of a cyclist being involved in a dangerous interaction increases with increasing turning vehicle flow and decreases as the size of the cyclist group arriving at the intersection increases. The results highlight the important role of cycle tracks and the factors that increase or decrease cyclist safety. Results need however to be confirmed using longer periods of video data.

Cycle track design guidelines are rarely based on scientific studies. In the case of off-road two-way cycle tracks, a minimum width must facilitate both passing and meeting maneuvers, being meeting maneuvers the most frequent. This study developed a methodology to observe meeting maneuvers using an instrumented bicycle, equipped with video cameras, a GPS tracker, laser rangefinders and speed sensors. This bicycle collected data on six two-way cycle tracks ranging 13-2.15 m width delimitated by different boundary conditions. The meeting maneuvers between the instrumented bicycle and every oncoming bicycle were characterized by the meeting clearance between the two bicycles, the speed of opposing bicycle and the reaction of the opposing rider: change in trajectory, stop pedaling or braking. The results showed that meeting clearance increased with the cycle track width and decreased if the cycle track had lateral obstacles, especially if they were higher than the bicycle handlebar. The speed of opposing bicycle shown the same tendency, although were more disperse. Opposing cyclists performed more reaction maneuvers on narrower cycle tracks and on cycle tracks with lateral obstacles to the handlebar height. Conclusions suggested avoiding cycle tracks narrower than 1.6 m, as they present lower meeting clearances, lower bicycle speeds and frequent reaction maneuvers. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The European Road E12 through the community center of Storuman, Sweden was reconstructed in 1999 and 2000. Pedestrian walkways, traffic islands, chicanes of a type referred to as “Danish buns”, a roundabout and a two-directional cycle track along the E12 were installed. The purpose of the reconstruction was to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, primarily for children, the elderly and the disabled, and to reduce the barrier effect of the E12 thoroughfare. In May 2000, the code governing the conduct of drivers at marked crosswalks in Sweden became stricter to improve safety and mobility for pedestrians. The combined effect of reconstructions and change of code was analyzed. Traffic behavior was studied at the intersection where the roundabout was constructed. Yield behavior towards pedestrians changed significantly. The difference was even greater with respect to yielding to child bicyclists – from 6% before to 84% after – even though the code change only related to pedestrians. Crash data analysis suggests a minor increase in fall injuries after reconstructions and change of code. Measures of speed, behavioral studies, questionnaires, face-to-face interviews and crash data analysis suggest that safety has increased not only along the E12 but also along adjacent roads. The final conclusion is that a bypass is not needed in a case like Storuman. Traffic calming of the main arterial through the town seems sufficient.

The purpose of this study was to determine how pavement markings influence bicyclist and motorist positioning, particularly how far bicyclists travel from parked cars. The research examined the effects of the sequential addition of the component markings of a bicycle lane on a road with on-street parking in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The data measured were the distance that cars parked from the curb, the distance that bicyclists rode from the curb, and the distance that traveling motor vehicles drove from the curb. Data on bicyclists and moving motor vehicles were gathered by videotaping. The three pavement marking treatments–-an edge line demarcating the travel lane, the edge line and bicycle symbols, and a full bicycle lane–-were all effective at influencing bicyclists to ride farther away from parked cars than when no pavement markings were present. All three treatments significantly increased the percentage of cyclists riding more than 9 and 10 ft from the curb; these distances were used as benchmarks for where cyclists should ride to be farther from the opening-door zone of a parked car. There was variation between the signalized and the uncontrolled intersections. Before-and-after intercept surveys of cyclists and motorists were administered. In the before survey, cyclists most often responded that the best way to improve bicycling on Hampshire Street was to add bicycle lanes. Cyclists also rated the full bicycle lane most favorably in the after survey. There was no change in cyclist comfort levels between the before and the after surveys. When motorists were asked what made them most aware of cyclists on the street; the most common response in the before survey was “nothing.” In the after survey, the most common response was “the bicycle lane.”

The study presents cost–benefit analyses of walking and cycling track networks in three Norwegian cities. The cost–benefit analyses take into account the benefit of reduced insecurity and the health benefits of the improved fitness the use of non-motorized transport provides. In addition to reductions in health costs, the analyses also take into account that a change from travel by car to cycling or walking means reduced external costs (e.g. air pollution and noise) from motorized traffic and reduced parking costs. The benefits of investments in cycle networks are estimated to be at least 4–5 times the costs. Such investments are thus more beneficial to society than other transport investments. The results of such complete cost–benefit analyses make it possible to calculate the benefits to society that are not realized because motorized traffic prevents people from bicycling or walking as much as they otherwise would prefer. These “barrier costs” attributable to motorized traffic are estimated to be of at least the same magnitude as air pollution costs and more than double the noise costs. Barrier costs should therefore be taken into account in the same way as other external costs, when the issue is to determine the proper level of car taxes or to evaluate different kinds of restrictions on car use.

During the past 10 years the U.S. Department of Transportation has spent $3.9 billion on bicycle and pedestrian facilities through the Transportation Enhancements Program. These funds have been distributed to 11,456 projects. Of these funds $2.53 billion has been spent on off-road trails, for 6,537 projects. Many of these projects have been built, and the question of the degree to which these trails are being used for transportation can be asked. The term "transportation trip" means that a person riding a bicycle on a trail is headed for a destination, such as work, shopping, or school. To explore the question, a geographic information system-based analysis using the block-group level of journey-to-work data from the 2000 census was performed on 13 trails in urban areas. The research explores the overall bike-to-work rate for households in the county in which the trail is located and compares that rate with that of the subset of households that are within 0.5 mi of the trail. The hypothesis that households closer to the trail would have a greater bike-to-work rate is supported by the data in 9 of the 13 analyzed trails. For those 9 trails, households within 0.5 mi of the trail show an average bike-to-work rate of 1.55% as compared with the average of the whole county of 0.52% and a national average of 0.4%. Additionally, fully 25% of bike commuters in those counties live within 0.5 mi of the trail. Factors that influence bicycle commute rates on trails are also reviewed.

There are hundreds of thousands of new bikes sold in the UK every year but until recently the number of people cycling has fallen every year for the last 20 years. This paper explores some of the reasons for this decline in use and reviews the role the National Cycle Network in trying to reverse the trend. The provision of funding and the maintenance requirements of cycle routes are also explored.

In seeking to promote cycling in wintertime, it is desirable to understand how important the winter maintenance service level is in people's decision to cycle or not,, and methods to compare differ ...

A review of the literature shows that capacity and saturation flow rate for on-street bicycle lanes at intersections have not been measured on the basis of bicycle discharge at intersections at the start of the green phase. The Highway Capacity Manual 2000 recommends a saturation flow rate of 2,000 bicycles per hour for a bicycle lane at a signalized intersection. However, this recommendation is not based on field studies at the intersection and is not a function of the width of the bicycle lane. A revised estimate is provided of saturation flow rate, and an estimate is provided of start-up lost time for bicycles based on data collected at the stop line of signalized intersections. In addition, the lateral stopped distance of automobiles from bicycle lanes, the lateral stopped distance of bicycles from adjacent lanes, and the lateral and longitudinal stopped distance between pairs of bicycles at a signalized intersections are presented. Bicycles may form more than one queue within a bicycle lane at the stop line. Since bicycles maintain a certain distance from the adjacent lane and the curb, the number of queues formed varies based on the width of the bicycle lane. Therefore, the saturation flow rate for a bicycle lane depends on the number of queues or the width of the bicycle lane. The saturation flow rates for bicycle lanes of varying widths are proposed on the basis of the lateral stopped distance of bicycles. Empirical evidence from intersections in Colorado and California is used to propose a new method to estimate the capacity for a bicycle lane.

Innovative policies implemented in Bogota, Colombia, during the 3-year (1998-2000) administration of Mayor Enrique Peñalosa were intended to transform a car-centered transportation system into a people-oriented one. To achieve this, the administration established policies in seven areas: institutional strengthening, restraining private car use, public space, mass transit, nonmotorized transport, road maintenance, and traffic management. Bogota’s transportation system was to become more people friendly by emphasizing the construction of busways and bike paths and by clearing sidewalks of parked cars and street vendors. Moreover, the administration took the lead in taking space away from cars. Success is difficult to appraise given the short time elapsed. What is clear, however, is that people supported the measures once they saw results, and the mayor left office with a record approval rating. The busway project, Transmilenio, is the prime example. Decisive and persistent leadership, political will, and strong institutions were the critical factors contributing to success.

This paper looks at the opportunities for promoting walking and cycling through five-year Local Transport Plans (LTPs), which have recently replaced the annual Transport Policies and Programme (TPP) scheme as the means for securing funding approval for investment in local transport. The paper examines the key differences between LTPs and TPPs in terms of the greater scope LTPs offer for facilitating more sustainable travel patterns, which include permitting expenditure on ‘soft’ measures such as travel awareness campaigns, in addition to the traditional ‘hard’—infrastructure—measures. There is a summary of the variety of engineering, educational and enforcement measures local authorities are being encouraged to employ to encourage walking and cycling, such as dedicated facilities, vehicle-restricted areas, home zones, speed management, clear zones. The opportunities for targeting different types of travel are looked at: commuting, school journeys, recreation and leisure trips. The relevance of travel patterns, and thus LTPs, to wider policy objectives—health, urban renaissance, social inclusion, air quality, children's social development—is acknowledged, as is the importance of integrating transport and land-use planning to facilitate non-motorised travel patterns. The paper includes a list of criteria used by the DETR in assessing the quality of LTPs with respect to the national objectives of encouraging walking and cycling for local transport.

This research was initiated to develop new rumble strip configurations for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation that would alert inattentive or drowsy motorists and could be safely and comfortably traversed by bicyclists. Three primary steps were involved in the development of the new configurations. First, simulation was used to evaluate different configurations for their potential to be bicycle friendly. Second, several configurations that had the greatest potential to be bicycle friendly were installed and field experiments were conducted to further evaluate their effectiveness. Finally, the field data were analyzed and the configurations that were installed were ranked based on their ability to provide a comfortable and controllable ride for bicyclists and to alert inattentive or drowsy motorists. On the basis of results of bicycle and motor vehicle tests, two new rumble strip configurations were recommended for implementation along nonfreeway facilities. One configuration was recommended for use along nonfreeway facilities with higher operating speeds, and a second was recommended for nonfreeway facilities with lower operating speeds.

Through a survey of expert cyclists, the relationship between the actual routes cyclists traveled and existing street conditions was documented, and bicycle commuters of the Phoenix metropolitan area were profiled. Data were collected on individual commuting routes between home and work. Additional data collected include age and gender characteristics. Frequency analysis in a geographic information system compared the number of common street segments among actual and alternative routes to determine cyclists’ use of existing street facilities. Findings are reported for actual routes compared with shortest distance, shortest time, and safest route alternatives on street facilities between the same origin and destination. Spatial analysis identified local gaps in arterial street bicycle facilities at municipal boundaries. These findings include evidence that cyclists adjust their routes to use current street bicycle facilities, and suggest that policy makers should concentrate on linking bicycle facilities across jurisdictions.

Traffic signal coordination that provides either ( a) progression for bicycles or ( b) simultaneous progression for bicycles and automobiles traveling on the same facility is analyzed. A conceptual foundation, consisting of three primary contributions, is developed for analyzing bicycleautomobile mixed-traffic progression along signalized streets. First, the principal considerations for bicycle progression are articulated. Second, several concepts and techniques that provide improved (or alternative) multiobjective solutions are presented and analyzed. Third, a multiobjective formulation framework for solving the mixed-traffic design problem is proposed. This framework formally incorporates the elements that were introduced as part of the first two contributions and provides a method to handle the inherent competing objectives of the situation. Additionally, important practical aspects of designing and implementing bicycle progression systems, such as handling bicycle speed variability and selecting appropriate facilities for initial (or test) projects, are identified and discussed.

This paper describes the design and construction aspects of the Second Benelux Tunnel, which will expand the A4 motorway near Rotterdam. The Second Benelux Tunnel will provide the province of South Holland with an excellent riverbank connection for crossing the New Meuse to the west of Rotterdam. This connection will increase the accessibility of the city of Rotterdam and the world's largest harbour for traffic, including public transport.

In this article we discuss different methods to construct an accessibility surface as a tool for facility location planning with special reference to shops. The methods are based on estimates of the market area for a new shop; the main difference between the methods is that the first one (proximity count in competition) assumes deterministic, strictly bounded market areas whereas the other methods (gravity surface and pressure map) assume non-deterministic, fuzzy market areas. These methods can be used to estimate the market area for a single, new facility. We show that two of these methods (the proximity count in competition and the pressure map) can be adapted to estimate the total market area of a chain after locating one new facility for that chain. In the conclusions, we discuss the applicability of the methods in different planning contexts.

The objective of the research described in this paper was to develop the basis for revised operational analysis procedures for transportation facilities with pedestrian users where flow is interrupted by traffic control devices. The paper commences with some background information on pedestrian walking speeds at signalized crossings and on pedestrian noncompliance at these locations. Then both new and revised level-of-service (LOS) tables are provided for analyzing various types of interrupted-flow pedestrian facilities. Results are detailed of a review and synthesis of American and international literature as part of a Federal Highway Administration study of pedestrian and bicycle facilities conducted by North Carolina State University between 1995 and 1998. The year 2000 edition of the U.S. Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) will incorporate, either directly or indirectly, most of the revised and synthesized information described in this paper. The research team recommends that the HCM include some background information that will be helpful for analysts timing signals and performing other operations. The authors of this paper recommend assumed crosswalk walking speeds of 1.2 m/s for most areas and 1.0 m/s for crosswalks serving large numbers of older pedestrians. Another important recommendation was to use delay to pedestrians as the basis for level of service at signalized and unsignalized street crossings. The recommended threshold for LOS F at signalized crossings is 60 s or more of delay per pedestrian, whereas at unsignalized crossings it is 45 s or more of delay per pedestrian.

Bicycle transportation is an integral part of most college and university campuses. Bike network paths thus represent a sizable investment of operational funds for these institutions. The efficiency of bike travel on campuses is very high in that it is quick, accessible, and safe travel for the rider. When maintained in good condition, bike paths offer safety for both the bicycle rider and the pedestrian. The University of Illinois developed a bike path management system that allows the system to be monitored and inspected regularly to promote riding comfort and timely repairs and to avoid excess deterioration and safety hazards. This results in maximizing the bicycle path network to both the university and the rider. Bicycle paths are becoming more integrated into the nation’s infrastructure system. This was shown with the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, which supported bicycle transportation funding. Although the bike path management system presented was developed from campus bike routes, the system can be expanded and benefit communities also. As presented, the bike management system can provide the University of Illinois with a simple, yet effective, means to monitor, maintain, and budget to keep this facility in good condition.

Presently, there is no methodology that is widely accepted by engineers, planners, or bicycle coordinators that will allow them to determine how compatible a roadway is for allowing efficient operation of both bicycles and motor vehicles. Determining how existing traffic operations and geometric conditions affect a bicyclist’s decision to use or not use a specific roadway is the first step in determining the bicycle compatibility of the roadway. The Federal Highway Administration sponsored a study in which a methodology for deriving a bicycle compatibility index was developed. This tool can be used by bicycle coordinators, transportation planners, traffic engineers, and others to evaluate the capability of specific roadways to accommodate both motorists and bicyclists. It is intended to provide practitioners with the ability to assess the bicycle level of service present on existing facilities or on proposed facilities and can be used for operational, design, and planning analyses.

The popularity of bicycles in North America is growing. As the popularity of bicycles has increased, so has the physical network of separate bicycle facilities and designated bicycle lanes in many locations. As a consequence of this growth, there is a demand for more information about bicycle operations on these facilities. Unfortunately, the state of knowledge regarding bicycle operations in the United States currently lags far behind that of motor vehicles and pedestrians. The international research that has been conducted to date regarding bicycle operations on uninterrupted facilities is thoroughly reviewed, and recommended procedures for the operational analysis of uninterrupted bicycle facilities are outlined. The recommended procedures are based on the concept of “frequencies of events” involving a bicyclist and other bicyclists or facility users. Events are defined as bicycle maneuvers required by a bicyclist on a facility, including passings (same-direction encounters) and meetings (opposite-direction encounters). The frequency of events for an uninterrupted bicycle facility is related to the service volumes of bicycles using or projected to be using the facility and does not have to be observed directly. The proposed procedures are, therefore, recommended based not only on their theoretical substance but also on their ease of use by practitioners.

What is the best way to promote bicycle transportation? Are people afraid to ride bicycles because motorists will run them over? Are there enough bicycle facilities available? Is promoting bicycle transportation a wise use of tax dollars? What percentage of the population currently rides bicycles? The San Diego Association of Governments allocates approximately $2 million annually on bicycling projects throughout San Diego County, California. Both the county of San Diego and the city of San Diego employ full-time bicycle coordinators. Periodically, questions and comments will arise regarding bicycling policies. “Why are they spending so much money on bicycle lanes? No one ever bicycles down this street.” “If they would build more bicycle paths, I would ride my bicycle to work instead of drive.” “How do they expect people to ride bicycles if they don’t maintain the pavement?” The San Diego County Bicycle Use and Attitude Survey was commissioned at the behest of the San Diego County Public Works Department to determine existing levels of bicycle usage and bicycling attitudes among San Diego County residents. A total of 3,800 interviews, conducted during February and March 1994 by telephone throughout the county, provided valuable insight into a large range of bicycling issues. The survey found that a majority (58 percent) of those residents polled reported that they were bicycle owners, and that a majority (68 percent) of those households in which bicycles were present reported that the adults bicycled. Respondents who bicycle chose bicycle paths, which are separated from motor vehicles, as their preferred bikeway facility. Almost three-fourths of the respondents (73 percent) stated that they did not bicycle at night. Only 15 percent of respondents who rode a bicycle at least once within the past year reported riding for transportation purposes. Over 99 percent of all respondents stated that they did not belong to a bicycling organization. A majority of respondents (over 70 percent) had not heard of various government programs that provided bicycle maps and bicycle information, and less than 10 percent of respondents have used these services. The majority of bicycling households (86 percent) reported being at least somewhat satisfied with the level of bikeway maintenance provided. Overall, survey respondents expressed support for government efforts to promote bicycle transportation.

Before-and-after study methodology was developed and applied to evaluating the effect on bicyclists' safety of raising urban bicycle crossings by 4 to 12 cm. In total, 44 junctions were reconstructed in this way in Gothenburg, Sweden. Four of these were studied in detail. Before the implementations, bicyclists were riding either in the roadway or on separate paths parallel to the roadway. The paths then ended with short ramps or curb cuts at each cross street, and bicyclists used nonelevated, marked bicycle crossings, similar to pedestrian crosswalks but delineated by white painted rectangles rather than zebra stripes. The results show that the paths with raised crossings attracted more than 50 percent more bicyclists and that the safety per bicyclist was improved by approximately 20 percent due to the increase in bicycle flow, and with an additional 10 to 50 percent due to the improved layout. However, the increased bicyclist volume means that the total number of bicycle accidents is expected to increase. Besides accident analysis, the change in risk was estimated using four different methods: surveys of bicyclists and experts, respectively; conflict data; and a quantitative expert model. Using a Bayesian approach for combining the results shows that the most likely effect of raising the bicycle crossing is a risk reduction of around 30 percent, compared with the before situation with a conventional bicycle crossing. Motorists and pedestrians also saw safety benefits from this traffic-calming measure. Upprättat; 1998; 20080704 (andbra)

This study was conducted for the Florida Department of Transportation with an objective of evaluating the safety and utility of shared-use facilities to provide engineers and planners comprehensive results that can be used in planning, designing, and constructing roadways to be shared by motorists and bicyclists. The results were developed from an analysis of observations of bicyclists and motorists interacting on different types of roadways. The evaluation included roadways with wide curb lanes, bicycle lanes, and paved shoulders. Locations from both rural and urban environments were included and varied in terms of motor-vehicle speed, traffic volume, lane width, and number of lanes. The operational measures of effectiveness used in evaluating the different types of facilities included ( a) lateral placement of the bicyclist, ( b) lateral placement of the motor vehicle, ( c) separation distance between the bicycle and the motor vehicle, and ( d) encroachments by the motorist or bicyclist during the passing maneuver. Results of the analysis showed that the type of facility (wide curb lane versus bicycle lane versus paved shoulder) does have a significant effect on the separation distance between bicyclists and motor vehicles; this distance ranged from 1.80 to 1.95 m (5.9 to 6.4 ft). The findings also indicated that paved shoulders and bicycle lanes generally result in similar interactions between motorists and bicyclists and that when compared with wide curb lanes they offer some distinct advantages to both user groups. The results also indicated that bicycle lanes as narrow as 0.92 m (3 ft) provide sufficient space for motorists and bicyclists to interact safely. At the same time, a 1.22-m (4-ft) wide bicycle lane tended to optimize operating conditions because there were very few differences in the measures of effectiveness when 1.22-m lanes were compared with wider lanes.

Conventional wisdom suggests that if bicycle pathways are provided, people will use them. This assertion is based on a combination of anecdotes, a few case studies, and mostly wishful thinking. Until now, there have been no cross-sectional studies of the association between bicycle pathway supply and commuting by bicycle that control for a variety of factors. Cross-sectional analysis, controlling for a variety of extraneous factors, can help to attribute differences in bicycle commuting to the overall supply of pathways. Cross-sectional data are applied here to 18 U. S. cities to help fill this gap in research. After considering such factors as weather, terrain, and number of college students, a positive association was found between miles of bicycle pathways per 100,000 residents and the percentage of commuters using bicycles. It is speculated that one problem with shifting the mode of commuting away from automobiles may simply be an inadequate supply of bicycle facilities. Although this work is the first of its kind, more systematic research is needed to confirm its findings.

“ Landscape planners are quick to criticise other professions for single-use planning, but we tend towards the same mistake when planning greenways and urban greenspace.” This proposition is illustrated by the great series of open space plans which was prepared for London between 1929 and 1976. It is then discussed from a theoretical standpoint with reference to Christopher Alexander, the ‘pattern analysis’ approach to landscape planning, and the author's 1991 report to the London Planning Advisory Committee, Towards a Green Strategy for London. The paper concludes that ‘greenway’ is an excellent marketing term, but that product diversification and product differentiation must take place. We need special varieties of greenway for special purposes. Brief Alexander-type patterns are outlined for seven varieties: parkway, blueway, paveway, glazeway, skyway, ecoway and cycleway.