The missing link: bicycle infrastructure networks and ridership in 74 US cities

Abstract

Cities promote strong bicycle networks to support and encourage bicycle commuting. However, the application of network science to bicycle facilities is not very well studied. Previous work has found relationships between the amount of bicycle infrastructure in a city and aggregate bicycle ridership, and between microscopic network structure and individual tripmaking patterns. This study fills the missing link between these two bodies of literature by developing a standard methodology for measuring bicycle facility network quality at the macroscopic level and testing its association with bicycle commuting. Bicycle infrastructure maps were collected for 74 United States cities and systematically analyzed to evaluate their network structure. Linear regression models revealed that connectivity and directness are important factors in predicting bicycle commuting after controlling for demographic variables and the size of the city. These findings provide a framework for transportation planners and policymakers to evaluate their local bicycle facility networks and set regional priorities that support nonmotorized travel behavior, and for continued research on the structure and quality of bicycle infrastructure and behavior.

Built environment determinants of bicycle volume: A longitudinal analysis

“…Only a small number of them have evaluated more specifically the effort of bicycle plans. According to them, it is evident that the establishment of an extensive bicycle network is associated with a high degree of bicycling popularity (dell'Olio, Ibeas, Bordagaray, & Ortúzar, 2013;Handy, Xing, & Buehler, 2010;Pucher, Dill, & Handy, 2010;Schoner & Levinson, 2014). However, some recent ex-ante and ex-post studies suggest more complicated and contradictory findings.…”

“…Aside from installing bicycle infrastructure, many complementary interventions, such as car use restrictions, supportive land use planning, and pro-bicycle programs, help promote bicycling. Furthermore, bicycle network design matters to bicycle use, such as the directness of bicycle paths, which is essentially related to trip distance and travel time (Schoner & Levinson, 2014).…”

Validação de sistema de parâmetros técnicos de mobilidade urbana aplicados para sistema cicloviário

“…Dentro do sistema de grafos, os segmentos (links) representam a infraestrutura cicloviária (ciclovias, ciclofaixas, rotas, espaços compartilhados) e os vér-tices (nodes) correspondem as intersecções e pontos finais dentro desta rede de infraestrutura (e.g., cruzamentos ou o ponto final de ciclovias) (Schoner, 2012). O conjunto de dados não contém quaisquer ligações entre a rede cicloviária e o restante da rede rodoviária.…”

“…Citam-se como exemplos os estudos de Schoner (2012); Patuelli et al (2010); Pildes (2014);Tresidder (2005). Em pesquisa (não exaustiva) realizada em estudos técnicos aplicados na mobilidade urbana do Brasil, iniciativas de caráter quantificável, metas de conectividade e de qualidade do sistema cicloviário são muito pouco expressivos.…”

Proximity to four bikeway types and neighbourhood-level cycling mode share of male and female commuters

“…In countries with little cycling, surveys indicate that route safety concerns are the major deterrent and that designated infrastructure for cycling is the major motivator (Aldred, Elliott, Woodcock, & Goodman, 2016;Buehler & Dill, 2016;. Opinion research is supported by evidence of differences between cities in North America: in those with more bike infrastructure, commute mode shares are considerably higher (Winters, Teschke, Brauer, & Fuller, 2016;Schoner & Levinson, 2014;Buehler & Pucher, 2012b;Dill & Carr, 2003). Large cities with more bike infrastructure have city-wide mode shares of 2-6%, while those with little often have mode shares near zero (Winters et al, 2016;Buehler & Pucher, 2012b).…”