Roadway and traffic characteristics for bicycling

Roadway and traffic characteristics for bicycling

0.00 Avg rating0 Votes
Article ID: iaor20119983
Volume: 38
Issue: 5
Start Page Number: 765
End Page Number: 777
Publication Date: Sep 2011
Journal: Transportation
Authors: ,
Keywords: construction & architecture, behaviour
Abstract:

The promotion of bicycle transportation includes the provision of suitable infrastructure for cyclists. In order to determine if a road is suitable for bicycling or not, and what improvements need to be made to increase the level of service for bicycles on specific situations, it is important to know how cyclists perceive the characteristics that define the roadway environment. The present paper describes research developed to define which roadway and traffic characteristics are prioritized by users and potential users in the evaluation of quality of roads for bicycling in urban areas of Brazilian medium‐sized cities. A focus group discussion identified 14 attributes representing characteristics that describe the quality of roads for bicycling in Brazilian cities. In addition, an attitude survey was applied with individuals to assess their perception on the attributes, along with the importance given to each one of them. The results were analyzed through the Method of Successive Intervals Analysis, which allows the transformation of categorical data into an interval scale. The analysis suggests that both the roadway and traffic characteristics related to segments and those related to intersections are important to the survey respondents. The five most important attributes, in their opinion, are: (1) lane width; (2) motor vehicle speed; (3) visibility at intersections; (4) presence of intersections; and (5) street trees (shading). Therefore, the research suggests that to promote bicycle use in Brazilian medium‐sized cities, these attributes must be prioritized.

Reviews

Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published.