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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 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.

While studies of bicyclist&rsquo, s perceptions of crime and crash safety exist, it is also important to ask lower-income predominantly-minority residents what bicycle-route surface or context they perceive as safest from crime and crashes. With their insights, their chosen bike environments could be in engineering guidelines and built in their neighborhoods to improve residents&rsquo, health and lessen their risk of exposure to crime or crashing. This study involved two populations in Boston: (a) community-sense participants (eight groups-church/YMCA n = 116), and (b) street-sense participants (five groups-halfway house/homeless shelter/gang members n = 96). Participants ranked and described what they saw in 32 photographs of six types of bicycle environments. Quantitative data (Likert Scale 0&ndash, 6 with 0 being low risk of crime/crash) involved regression analysis to test differences. Qualitative comments were categorized into 55 themes for surface or context and if high or low in association with crime or crashes. For crime, two-way cycle tracks had a significantly lower score (safest) than all others (2.35, p &lt, 0.01) and share-use paths had a significantly higher score (least safe) (3.39, 0.01). For crashes, participants rated shared-use paths as safest (1.17) followed by two-way cycle tracks (1.68), one-way cycle tracks (2.95), bike lanes (4.06), sharrows (4.17), and roads (4.58), with a significant difference for any two groups (p &lt, 0.01) except between bike lane and sharrow (p = 0.9). Street-sense participants ranked all, except shared-use paths, higher for crime and crash. For surface, wide two-way cycle tracks with freshly painted lines, stencils, and arrows were low risk for crime and a cycle track&rsquo, s median, red color, stencils, and arrows low risk for crash. For context, clean signs, balconies, cafes, street lights, no cuts between buildings, and flowers were low risk for crime and witnesses, little traffic, and bike signals low risk for crash. As bicycle design guidelines and general Crime Perception Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles do not include these details, perhaps new guidelines could be written.

Background Cycling, as a mode of active transportation, has numerous health and societal benefits, but carries risks of injury when performed on-road with vehicles. Cycle tracks are dedicated lanes with a physical separation or barrier between bicycles and motor vehicles. Studies on the effectiveness of cycle tracks in urban areas in North America, as well as the area-wide effects of cycle tracks are limited. Aims Study objectives were to examine the effect of cycle track implementation on cyclist-motor vehicle collisions (CMVC) occurring: (1) on streets treated with new cycle tracks; (2) on streets surrounding new cycle tracks in Toronto, Canada. Methods Intervention and outcome data were obtained from the City of Toronto. All police-reported CMVC from 2000 to 2016 were mapped. Analyses were restricted to 2 years pre- and 2 years post-track implementation. Rates were calculated for CMVC on streets with cycle tracks (objective 1) and in five defined areas surrounding cycle tracks (objective 2). Zero-Inflated Poisson regression was used to compare changes to CMVC rates before and after cycle track implementation for both objectives. All models controlled for season of collision and cycle track. Results The majority of CMVC on cycle tracks occurred at intersections (75%). The crude CMVC rate increased two-fold after cycle track implementation (IRR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.51–2.81); however, after accounting for the increase in cycling volumes post-implementation, there was a 38% reduction in the CMVC rate per cyclist-month (IRR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.44–0.89). On streets between 151 m – 550 m from cycle tracks, there was a significant 35% reduction in CMVC rates per km-month following track implementation (IRR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.54–0.76). Conclusions Cycle track implementation was associated with increased safety for cyclists on cycle tracks, after adjusting for cycling volume. In addition, there was a significant reduction in CMVC on streets surrounding cycle tracks between 151 m – 550 m distance from the tracks (a ‘safety halo’ effect), suggesting an area-wide safety effect of cycle track implementation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bicycling as a mode of transportation is increasingly seen as a healthy alternative to motorized transportation modes. However, in congested urban areas, the health benefits of bicycling can be diminished by the negative health effects associated with inhalation of particulate matter. Particles of small size (ultrafine particles

Purpose. To provide evidence about the types of transportation infrastructure that support bicycling. Design. Population-based survey with pictures to depict 16 route types. Setting. Metro Vancouver, Canada. Subjects. 1402 adult current and potential cyclists, i.e., the “near market” for cycling (representing 31% of the population). Measures. Preference scores for each infrastructure type (scale from − 1, very unlikely to use, to +1, very likely to use); current frequency of use of each infrastructure type (mean number of times/y). Analyses. Descriptive statistics across demographic segments; multiple linear regression. Results. Most respondents were likely or very likely to choose to cycle on the following broad route categories: off-street paths (71%–85% of respondents); physically separated routes next to major roads (71%); and residential routes (48%–65%). Rural roads (21%–49%) and routes on major streets (16%–52%) were least likely to be chosen. Within the broad categories, routes with traffic calming, bike lanes, paved surfaces, and no on-street parking were preferred, resulting in increases in likelihood of choosing the route from 12% to 37%. Findings indicate a marked disparity between preferred cycling infrastructure and the route types that were currently available and commonly used. Conclusion. This study provides evidence for urban planners about bicycling infrastructure designs that could lead to an increase in active transportation.

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

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.

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.

In this Swedish study, the attitudes towards cycling during winter in general, and in relation to winter maintenance of cycleways in particular, is examined. Questionnaires were answered by a thousand employees at four major companies in two Swedish cities. There was a clear difference in mode choice between seasons. The number of car trips increased by 27% from summer to winter while the number of bicycle trips decreased by 47%. The number of car trips increased with distance while the number of bicycle trips decreased, and the decrease was even more significant in winter than in summer. There was a difference in opinion between different categories of cyclists, on what factors influenced the choice of transport mode for the journey to work. Temperature, precipitation, and road condition were the most important factors to those who cycled to work in summer but not in winter. Exercise was the most important to those who cycled frequently in winter, and travel time the most important to those who never cycled to work. By improving winter maintenance service levels on cycleways, it might be possible to increase the number of bicycle trips during winter by 18%, representing a corresponding decrease in the number of car trips of 6%. To increase cycling during winter, snow clearance was found to be the most important maintenance measure. Skid control was not considered as important for the choice of mode, although important to attend to for safety reasons.

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.

Increased cycling as a means of personal travel could generate environmental benefits if associated with a corresponding decrease in car-based transport. For promoting cycling during winter, the maintenance service level of cycleways is of importance. Earlier studies indicated that the Swedish public is unsatisfied with the service levels provided on cycleways during winter. In Sweden, cycleways normally are cleared of snow through plowing and are gritted for skid control. Field studies tested an unconventional winter maintenance method that uses a power broom for snow clearance and salt for deicing. The field studies were evaluated through road-condition observations, measurements of friction, a questionnaire survey, interviews, and bicycle measurements. The method of using a power broom for snow clearance and salt for deicing provided a higher service level than traditional winter maintenance methods, but it was two to three times more expensive. The method has greater potential in regions, such as southern Sweden, with low snow accumulations but with major ice-formation problems than in regions with a colder climate. Cyclists noticed the improved maintenance service level provided with the method used in the field study, but although cyclists stated that road condition is important to their decision to cycle, it could not be concluded that the enhanced service level generated a higher winter cycling frequency.

Some surveys indicate that providing bicycle lanes and paths may encourage more people to commute by bicycle. The presence of a striped lane or separated path can increase a cyclist’s perception of safety. With growing concerns over traffic congestion and vehicle pollution, public policy makers are increasingly promoting bicycling as an alternative for commuting and other utilitarian trip purposes. State and local spending on bicycle facilities has increased significantly over the past decade. Previous studies have linked higher levels of bicycle commuting to various demographic and geographic variables. At least one analysis showed that cities with higher levels of bicycle infrastructure (lanes and paths) witnessed higher levels of bicycle commuting. Research was conducted that affirms that finding by analyzing data from 43 large cities across the United States. This cross-sectional analysis improves on previous research by including a larger sample of cities, not including predominantly college towns, and using consistent data from the Bureau of the Census 2000 Supplemental Survey. Although the analysis has limitations, it does support the assertion that new bicycle lanes in large cities will be used by commuters.

“Road diets” are often conversions of four-lane undivided roads into three lanes (two through lanes plus a center turn lane). The fourth lane may be converted to bicycle lanes, sidewalks, or on-street parking. Road diets are sometimes implemented with the objective of reducing vehicle speeds as well as the number of motor vehicle crashes and injuries. A study was conducted to investigate the actual effects of road diets on motor vehicle crashes and injuries. Twelve road diets and 25 comparison sites in California and Washington cities were analyzed. Crash data were obtained for these road diet (2,068 crashes) and comparison sites (8,556 crashes). A “before” and “after” analysis using a “yoked comparison” study design found that the percent of road diet crashes occurring during the “after” period was about 6% lower than that of the matched comparison sites. However, a separate analysis in which a negative binomial model was used to control for possible differential changes in average daily traffic, study period, and other factors indicated no significant treatment effect. Crash severity was virtually the same at road diets and comparison sites. There were some differences in crash type distributions between road diets and comparison sites, but not between the “before” and “after” periods. Conversion to a road diet should be made on a case-by-case basis in which traffic flow, vehicle capacity, and safety are all considered. It is also recommended that the effects of road diets be further evaluated under a variety of traffic and roadway conditions.

Over the past two decades, the number of bicycle trips in the United States has doubled. Since 48% of trips by all modes in American cities are shorter than three miles, the potential for further growth in bicycling seems enormous. So far, efforts to promote bicycling have focused on building bike paths and bike lanes. Although necessary, separate cycling facilities must be complemented by a comprehensive program to make all roads bikeable, through both physical adaptations and enforcement of cyclists' right to use the road. It seems likely that cycling will continue to grow in North America, but that its mode share will remain far lower than levels in northern Europe. Bicycling in Canada and especially the United States is impeded by the lack of a tradition of cycling for utilitarian purposes and by the marginal legal, cultural and infrastructure status of cyclists in both countries' automobile-based transport systems. As long as car use remains cheap and transportation policy remains dominated by motoring, bicycles will continue to be used primarily for recreation and not for daily urban travel in North America.

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.

A comparative analysis of bicycle lanes (BLs) versus wide curb lanes (WCLs) was done. The primary analysis was based on videotapes of almost 4,600 bicyclists from 48 sites in Santa Barbara, California; Gainesville, Florida; and Austin, Texas. The videotapes were coded to evaluate operational characteristics and conflicts with motorists, other bicyclists, or pedestrians. Significant differences in both operational behaviors and conflicts were associated with BLs and WCLs, but they varied depending on the behavior being analyzed. Wrong-way riding and sidewalk riding were much more prevalent at WCL sites compared to BL sites. The aggregated data showed that significantly more motor vehicles passing bicycles on the left encroached into the adjacent traffic lane from WCL situations compared to BL situations. Proportionally more bicyclists obeyed stop signs at BL sites; however, when a stop sign was disobeyed, the proportion of bicyclists with both "somewhat unsafe" and "definitely unsafe" movements was higher at BL sites. The vast majority of observed bicycle-motor vehicle conflicts were minor, and there were no differences in the conflict severity by type of bicycle facility. Bicyclists in WCLs, however, experienced more bike-pedestrian conflicts, whereas bicyclists in BLs experienced more bike-bike conflicts. The overall conclusion is that both BL and WCL facilities can and should be used to improve riding conditions for bicyclists. The identified differences in operations and conflicts appeared to be related to the specific destination patterns of bicyclists riding through the intersection areas studied and not to characteristics of the bicycle facilities.

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.

Bicycle route and safety data sets for 2,963 commuter cyclists in Ottawa and Toronto, Canada, containing cyclist characteristics, collision and fall history, and regular commute route, are used for this analysis. Previous analyses found sidewalk collisions and fall and injury rates significantly higher on sidewalks than on roads or paths. Of the 52 events reported on sidewalks, none were reported to police and would, therefore, not be found in a police accident database. These events did result in injuries, and in two cases major injuries. This analysis has found that commuter cyclists in Ottawa use sidewalks primarily on major roads (not necessarily high-speed roads) and often to cross bridges or to take shortcuts where no road exists. Toronto commuter cyclists use sidewalks primarily on high-volume multilane roads. Some Toronto cyclists still use sidewalks when bicycle lanes are provided. A slightly higher proportion of women are sidewalk cyclists in Ottawa; however, no age relationship was found. Sidewalk cyclists reported proportionally more near misses with bicycles in the previous month. A relatively large number of sidewalk collisions are with other bicycles. The most significant result of the analysis is that sidewalk cyclists have higher event rates on roads than nonsidewalk cyclists.

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.

A bicycle route and safety survey was distributed to 6,000 bicycle commuters in Ontario in 1995. The objective of the survey was to collect both collision/fall histories and detailed travel behavior information. A description is provided of the questionnaire development, which included a map for route tracing, as well as the sampling procedures that involved attaching the mail-back survey to the crossbars of parked bicycles. The resulting analyses, which address methodological issues, are presented. No differential response rates between men and women were found. No evidence was found to suggest that cyclists who had experienced accidents were more likely to respond. A slight decrease in incidents was found as one moves backward in the time, suggesting slight recall bias, but, overall, the time period over which information was collected (3 years for collisions and 1 year for falls) was deemed appropriate. The measure of travel exposure combined information from the map with estimates of commute trips per month. The aggregate overall estimate was deemed satisfactory but the ability of cyclists to recall commute trips on exact days even in the near past was inadequate. Overall, the survey was successful, and the insights should provide helpful guidance to others who seek to gather bicycle travel information.

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.

Greenways provide much-needed natural corridors and environments in urban and suburban areas, along with recreational, transportation and nature education opportunities for urban residents. However, there is a tension between the natural environment and public use in urban areas. Local residents' concerns for safety through clear sightlines and the use of lighting along trails may compromise the ecological integrity and natural character of urban greenways, whereas natural corridors in the city are often considered as being potentially unsafe, and therefore essentially inaccessible to use by many residents, particularly women, children, aging people and those with disabilities. As a result, the planning and development of safe urban trails within natural greenways can be challenging and contentious. Prospect and refuge theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding the human ecological dimensions of environmental design. Within this framework, a growing body of environment-behavior research provides useful principles for planning and designing greenways that are both ‘green’ and safe. These principles include: visibility of others, visibility by others, choice and control, solitude without isolation, and environmental awareness and legibility. This paper outlines the ‘safe communities’ approach developed in the city of Toronto, Canada, and applies it to the planning and design of trails in urban greenway systems through a series of planning guidelines, with particular reference to the Greater Toronto Area experience. The paper concludes that only when public safety is paramount will the necessary community support be built which will allow the successful integration of natural greenways into the fabric of metropolitan areas.

In a number of towns and cities worldwide development programmes have been initiated to provide designated bike surfaces reserved for the movement of cyclists along city network. There has been an increase in the use of a bicycle as a regular means of personal transport, particularly in recent years when technical solutions and modern materials have allowed more active use of bicycles in big cities. Judging from the perspective of bicycles, Belgrade has undergone several significant changes. In the period preceding the Second World War the number of bicycles in the city (area of which used to be much smaller than today) was considerable, particularly in relation to vehicles. In the following periods, the development of the city has gradually pushed bicycles towards outskirts. Today bicycles are mostly used for recreation purposes. In this process special signalization addressed to cyclists has been mainly neglected. Soâ€called standard infoâ€solutions, essentially addressed to drivers, were applied. New aesthetics of the city, as one of possible ideas of the urban space reâ€engineering, is based also on the introduction of “Zones 20†20 mph (30 km/h) zones as well as on more active use of bicycles. In addition, both mentioned measures increase ecological quality of life in the city. A new concept of infoâ€system addressed to cyclists moving in a street network of a big city (Case Study of Belgrade, 2004) is presented in this paper. First Published Online: 27 Oct 2010

Lusk et al. claim that American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines discourage "physically separated and bicycle-exclusive paths adjacent to sidewalks."(1) In fact, these guidelines prohibit bicycle lanes on the roadway separated from travel lanes by parked cars or a raised barrier. They permit bike paths adjacent to the roadway where there is "minimal cross flow by motor vehicles."(2) (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print August 15, 2013: e1-e2. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301476). Language: en

One hundred and eighty-eight bicycle-car accidents in four cities were studied by multidisciplinary in-depth analysis. The sample was representative of the national accident statistics. All the accidents were analyzed in detail to reconstruct the actual movements of those involved and to assess detection of the other party. In 37% of collisions, neither driver nor cyclist realized the danger or had time to yield. In the remaining collisions, the driver (27%), the cyclist (24%) or both (12%) did something to avert the accident. Two common mechanisms underlying the accidents were identified. First, allocation of attention such that others were not detected, and second, unjustified expectations about the behavior of others. These mechanisms were found to be closely related to the system of two-way cycle tracks and to the fact that the general priority rule is applied to the crossings of a cycle track and a roadway. The most frequent accident type among collisions between cyclists and cars at bicycle crossings was a driver turning right and a bicycle coming from the driver's right along a cycle track. The result confirmed an earlier finding (Accident Analysis and Prevention 28, 147-153, 1996) that drivers turning right hit cyclists because they looked left for cars during the critical phase. Only 11% of drivers noticed the cyclist before impact. Cyclists' behavior was in marked contrast to that of drivers. In these cases, 68% of cyclists noticed the driver before the accident, and 92% of those who noticed believed the driver would give way as required by law. Cyclists with a driving license and those who cycled daily through the accident site were involved in different accident types to other cyclists.

The main objective of this study is to examine how widths of cycle tracks influence the behaviour, flow and capacity of bicycle traffic. Empirical data has been collected by video observations at 8 different cycle tracks of varying widths (1.85m-2.85m excl. kerb between cycle track and carriageway). The locations are characterised by high bicycle traffic volumes on the track, no traffic lights / junctions / bus stops / zebra crossing nearby, and no dividing verge between cycle track and carriageway. Speed and lateral positions has been measured for 8,925 cyclists. The average speed is 21.6km/h but differs slightly between locations. Women ride 2-3km/h slower than men but also with a smaller dispersion. The traffic volume does not affect average speed, but dispersion decrease with increasing bicycle traffic volumes. At narrow cycle tracks cyclists are riding closer to the footpath and closer to each other during overtaking compared to cycle tracks of a larger width. Car parking in the road side next to the cycle track reduces "the effective width" of cycle track with about 10-15cm. High bicycle traffic volumes are only observed in short time spans and it seems like the capacity limit is not reached. Flows as high as 20 bicycles per 10 sec are observed at a 2-lane cycle track (width: 2.35m) and still with an average speed of about 21km/h. Controlling factors are used when calculating capacity from short time spans, and the hourly capacity of a 2-lane cycle track has been estimated to about 3,000bicycles/h. The width does not affect the capacity much unless the number of lanes are reduced or increased. A cargo bike has an average speed of 16.3km/h and its headway is 1.3 times as big as the headway of a traditional bicycle. Due to the speed and the size of a cargo bike it reduces capacity equally to 3-4 traditional bicycles. Based on the data minimum and recommended widths of bicycle tracks are found. Language: en

Course holding by cyclists and moped riders includes both steering alongside a course and stabilising the vehicle. Inability to hold course may lead to conflicts with other road users. To design safe bicycle and moped facilities, and to consider the safety of those existing, knowledge about performance during course holding is necessary. Based on a literature survey, the article discusses how course holding will be influenced by characteristics of the course, the vehicle and the rider. Effects of disturbing factors such as side-wind and road-surface unevenness are also described. In a field study subjects carried out riding tests with various models of bicycles and mopeds on three courses. Speed, riding with one hand on the handlebars, side-wind and road-surface unevenness were included as independent variables. Results indicate that cyclists and moped riders need a width of at least 1 m on straight roads. At intersections this width should be at least 1.25 m. Performance in the tests also showed differences between vehicle models and modes of riding. Language: en

A prospective study of pedalcycle accident morbidity and mortality was carried out from February to mid-November 1983 because of the high frequency of child cyclist injuries that were occurring on the relatively flat Redcliffe Peninsula. These injuries were apparently associated with the large number of young children who use a bicycle as their main mode of transport to and from school. The schools were surveyed for the extent of bicycle use and cyclists were surveyed for the amount of protective clothing that was worn while involved in cycling. It was found that a disturbingly large number of young children made regular bicycle trips on public roads with the minimal use of safety helmets or any other form of protective clothing. Nearly 40% of on-road accidents involved children of less than 12 years of age, and over 10% of these involved children of six years of age or less. No child in our series of on-road accidents was, at the time of injury, wearing a safety helmet or any other form of protective clothing. No bicycle accidents occurred on the exclusive cycle track of approximately 1 km in length on the Peninsula.

In this paper, we represent a systematic review of stated preference studies examining the extent to which cycle infrastructure preferences vary by gender and by age. A search of online, English-language academic and policy literature was followed by a three-stage screening process to identify relevant studies. We found 54 studies that investigated whether preferences for cycle infrastructure varied by gender and/or by age. Forty-four of these studies considered the extent of separation from motor traffic. The remainder of the studies covered diverse topics, including preferred winter maintenance methods and attitudes to cycle track lighting. We found that women reported stronger preferences than men for greater separation from motor traffic. There was weaker evidence of stronger preferences among older people. Differences in preferences were quantitative rather than qualitative; that is, preferences for separated infrastructure were stronger in some groups than in others, but no group preferred integration with motor traffic. Thus, in low-cycling countries seeking to increase cycling, this evidence suggests focusing on the stronger preferences of under-represented groups as a necessary element of universal design for cycling.

Background Bicycling has the potential to improve fitness, diminish obesity, and reduce noise, air pollution, and greenhouse gases associated with travel. However, bicyclists incur a higher risk of injuries requiring hospitalization than motor vehicle occupants. Therefore, understanding ways of making bicycling safer and increasing rates of bicycling are important to improving population health. There is a growing body of research examining transportation infrastructure and the risk of injury to bicyclists. Methods We reviewed studies of the impact of transportation infrastructure on bicyclist safety. The results were tabulated within two categories of infrastructure, namely that at intersections (e.g. roundabouts, traffic lights) or between intersections on "straightaways" (e.g. bike lanes or paths). To assess safety, studies examining the following outcomes were included: injuries; injury severity; and crashes (collisions and/or falls). Results The literature to date on transportation infrastructure and cyclist safety is limited by the incomplete range of facilities studied and difficulties in controlling for exposure to risk. However, evidence from the 23 papers reviewed (eight that examined intersections and 15 that examined straightaways) suggests that infrastructure influences injury and crash risk. Intersection studies focused mainly on roundabouts. They found that multi-lane roundabouts can significantly increase risk to bicyclists unless a separated cycle track is included in the design. Studies of straightaways grouped facilities into few categories, such that facilities with potentially different risks may have been classified within a single category. Results to date suggest that sidewalks and multi-use trails pose the highest risk, major roads are more hazardous than minor roads, and the presence of bicycle facilities (e.g. on-road bike routes, on-road marked bike lanes, and off-road bike paths) was associated with the lowest risk. Conclusion Evidence is beginning to accumulate that purpose-built bicycle-specific facilities reduce crashes and injuries among cyclists, providing the basis for initial transportation engineering guidelines for cyclist safety. Street lighting, paved surfaces, and low-angled grades are additional factors that appear to improve cyclist safety. Future research examining a greater variety of infrastructure would allow development of more detailed guidelines.

The incidence of head injuries in accidents to cyclists studied by the accident service oxford were reported in this article. The effects that wearing helmets and the use of separate cycle lanes might have on such injuries were also discussed. The study was undertaken between 1 January 1983 and 31 may 1985. Injuries to the head or face or both occurred in 958 (52%) of accidents. The abbreviated injury scale was used to classify the injuries sustained. A comparison was also made between head injuries sustained in accidents by cyclists with those sustained by motorcyclists, who wear a helmet by law. To make speeds compatable only accidents in built up areas were compared. A significantly higher proportion of pedal cyclists compared with motorcyclists had head injuries, and these tended to be more severe. The study also indicated that cycle lanes were safer than ordinary roads, as the number of accidents per kilometre was less on such lanes.