Motivators and deterrents of bicycling: comparing influences on decisions to ride

Winters, Meghan; Davidson, Gavin; Kao, Diana; Teschke, Kay

doi:10.1007/s11116-010-9284-y

Cited by 438 publications

(311 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…While some evidence points in the direction of cycling offering advantages because of the physical activity that reduces the health risks inherent to a sedentary life (e.g., 9,10,11), other evidence points in the direction of cycling bringing along negative effects because of the exposure to traffic pollution and crash risk (e.g., 12,13,14). When considering that the crash risk on a bicycle is definitely higher than the one on a motorized vehicle (e.g., 15,16,17) and factoring that it is the most significant disincentive to cycling (e.g., 18,19,20), investigating the factors contributing to the risk of being involved in a crash while riding a bicycle assumes a fundamental role for urban and transport planners aiming to increase the appeal of their cities and regions to potential cyclists.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infrastructure and spatial effects on the frequency of cyclist-motorist collisions in the Copenhagen Region

Prato

Kaplan

Rasmussen

et al. 2016

Journal of Transportation Safety & Security

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Promoting cycling aims at reducing congestion and pollution and encouraging healthy and sustainable lifestyles, but generally clashes with the crash risk perception while riding a bicycle that is still the most significant disincentive to cycling. The current study analyzed the factors contributing to increase crash risk while riding a bicycle by focusing on the variation of 5349 cyclist-motorist collisions within 269 traffic zones in the Copenhagen Region. The model controlled for traffic exposure for both bicycles and motorized transport modes, evaluated the effects of infrastructure and socio-economic characteristics of the zones, and accounted for heterogeneity and spatial correlation across the zones. A Poisson-lognormal model with second-order CAR priors confirmed the existence of the safety in numbers phenomenon, contradicted previous literature about bicycle facilities not being helpful in reducing crash risk, highlighted the need for Copenhagen-style bicycle paths especially in suburban areas, and emphasized how heterogeneity and spatial correlation play a significant role in explaining the probability of cyclist-motorist crash occurrence.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infrastructure and spatial effects on the frequency of cyclist-motorist collisions in the Copenhagen Region

Prato

Kaplan

Rasmussen

et al. 2016

Journal of Transportation Safety & Security

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“…Many studies have found that one of the greatest impediments to cycling is the perceived danger from motor traffic [39][40][41]. Based on this concept and earlier studies [24,42], Mekuria et al [38] developed the Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) assessment method.…”

Section: Audit Instruments For Bicycle Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Bicycle Network in St. Louis: A PlaceBased User-Centered Approach

2017

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Abstract:To transition towards sustainability and increase low-impact transportation, city planners are integrating bicycle infrastructure in urban landscapes. Yet, this infrastructure only promotes cycling according to how well it is sited within a specific city. How to best site bicycle facilities is essential for sustainability planning. We review approaches to assessing and siting new bicycle facilities. Following sustainability science, we argue that active cyclists should be consulted to incorporate users' site-specific knowledge into bicycle infrastructure assessments. We then pilot an approach that surveys cyclists concerning level of stress along routes ridden in St. Louis, MO, USA. Among the active cyclists surveyed (n = 89), we found stress correlates with speed limit, roadway classification, and number of lanes. Although cyclists surveyed in St. Louis prefer roads with bike lanes over roads with sharrows or no infrastructure, the presence of bicycle infrastructure had no correlation with reported levels of stress. The piloted survey and spatial analytic tool are transferable to other localities. For planners, the maps generated by this participant data approach identify high-stress routes as targets of new infrastructure or information to direct cyclists to safer routes. For bicyclists, the maps generated identify low-stress routes for recreation and commuting.

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“…51,137 However, exposure to road traffic noise has been found to be associated with less time spent outdoors, less physical activity and (albeit weakly) a higher prevalence of overweight, and routes away from traffic noise may be perceived to be more attractive for cycling. [138][139][140][141][142] However, a cross-country ecological comparison has shown an inverse relationship between the presence of motorways and the national prevalence of overweight and obesity. 143 That relationship may be confounded by the fact that motorway infrastructure reflects national economic prosperity, and therefore does not necessarily contradict our finding suggesting that more proximate exposure to motorway infrastructure may be associated with less healthy behaviour patterns.…”

Section: Active Travel and Physical Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Health impacts of the M74 urban motorway extension: a mixed-method natural experimental study

et al. 2017

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Background Making travel easier can improve people’s access to opportunities, but motor transport also incurs substantial undesirable health and social impacts. Aims To assess how a new urban motorway affected travel and activity patterns, road accidents and well-being in local communities, and how these impacts were experienced and brought about. Design The Traffic and Health in Glasgow study, a mixed-method controlled before-and-after study. Setting Glasgow, UK. Participants Repeat cross-sectional survey samples of 1345 and 1343 adults, recruited in 2005 and 2013, respectively. Of these, 365 formed a longitudinal cohort, 196 took part in a quantitative substudy using accelerometers and global positioning system receivers and 30, living within 400 m of the new motorway, took part in a qualitative substudy along with 12 other informants. Complementary analyses used police STATS19 road traffic accident data (1997–2014) and Scottish Household Survey travel diaries (2009–13). Intervention A new 5-mile, six-lane section of the M74 motorway, opened in 2011 and running through predominantly deprived neighbourhoods in south-east Glasgow, with associated changes to the urban landscape. Main outcome measures Differences in self-reported travel behaviour (1-day travel record), physical activity (short International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and well-being [Short Form 8 Health Survey (SF-8) and a short version of the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale], and in the incidence of road traffic accidents. Methods A combination of multivariable cohort, cross-sectional, repeat cross-sectional and interrupted time series regression analyses comparing residents of the ‘M74 corridor’ intervention area and two matched control areas, complemented by novel qualitative spatial methods. Graded measures of the proximity of the motorway to each participant’s home served as a further basis for controlled comparisons. Results Both benefits and harms were identified. Cohort participants living closer to the new motorway experienced significantly reduced mental well-being (mental component summary of the SF-8 scale) over time compared with those living further away [linear regression coefficient –3.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) –6.6 to –0.7]. In the area surrounding an existing motorway, this association was concentrated among those with chronic conditions. In repeat cross-sectional analyses, participants living closer to a new motorway junction were more likely to report using a car at follow-up than those living further away (odds ratio 3.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 10.7). We found weaker quantitative evidence of a decline in physical activity participation and no quantitative evidence of an overall change in either active travel or accidents associated with motorway exposure. Qualitative evidence suggested that, although the new motorway improved connectivity for those with dispersed social networks and access to motor vehicles, the impacts were more complex for others, some of whom found the motorway to be a cause of severance. Changes in community composition and cohesion, and perceptions of personal safety, were widely perceived as more important to local people. Limitations A key limitation of natural experimental studies is that the risk of residual confounding cannot be eliminated. Conclusions Overall, these findings highlight the potential for urban infrastructural projects of this kind to add further burdens to already disadvantaged communities, exacerbating inequalities and contributing to poorer health outcomes. The health and social impacts of such initiatives should be more fully taken into account in planning and research. Funding The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme.

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Motivators and deterrents of bicycling: comparing influences on decisions to ride

Abstract: Bicycle, Survey, Infrastructure, Influence, Non-motorized transport,

Cited by 438 publications

References 28 publications

Infrastructure and spatial effects on the frequency of cyclist-motorist collisions in the Copenhagen Region

Infrastructure and spatial effects on the frequency of cyclist-motorist collisions in the Copenhagen Region

Assessing the Bicycle Network in St. Louis: A PlaceBased User-Centered Approach

Health impacts of the M74 urban motorway extension: a mixed-method natural experimental study

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