Kay Teschke School of Population & Public Health The University of British Columbia
What route types best motivate cycling? Evidence about route preferences & safety
Photo: Ken Ohrn
% of work trips by bike
Sources: NHS, 2011; Pucher & Buehler, City Cycling, 2012
1
1
9
9
10
18
26
Canada
USA
Finland
Sweden
Germany
Denmark
Netherlands
Canadians don’t cycle … why?
North American guru John Forester
�vehicular cycling�
European guru Jan Gehl
�people places�
Image credit: Advocate Magazine
Two studies …
“Cycling in Cities”
Opinion Survey
N=1400 in Metro Vancouver
16 route types, 73 potential
motivators or deterrents
“Bicyclists’ Injuries & the Cycling Environment”
Case-Crossover Study
N=690 in Vancouver & Toronto
15 route types, other route
features
Pave
d bi
ke p
ath
Pave
d m
ultiu
se p
ath
Unp
aved
mul
tiuse
pat
h
Cyc
le tr
ack
Resid
entia
l str
eet b
ike
rout
e, w
ith tr
affic
cal
min
g
Resid
entia
l str
eet b
ike
rout
e
Resid
entia
l str
eet
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith b
ike
lane
& n
o pa
rked
car
s
Rura
l roa
d, w
ith p
aved
sho
ulde
r &
bik
e sy
mbo
ls
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith b
ike
sym
bols
& n
o pa
rked
car
s
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith b
ike
lane
& p
arke
d ca
rs
Rura
l roa
d, w
ith p
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sho
ulde
r
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith b
ike
sym
bols
& p
arke
d ca
rs
Rura
l roa
d, n
o pa
ved
shou
lder
Maj
or s
tree
t, no
par
ked
cars
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith p
arke
d ca
rs
regular cyclists
occasional cyclists
potential cyclists
mean male mean female
Separated from traffic
Quiet streets
Busy city streets & rural roads
men women +
–
Motivation … route type matters
Pave
d bi
ke p
ath
Pave
d m
ultiu
se p
ath
Unp
aved
mul
tiuse
pat
h
Cyc
le tr
ack
Resid
entia
l str
eet b
ike
rout
e, w
ith tr
affic
cal
min
g
Resid
entia
l str
eet b
ike
rout
e
Resid
entia
l str
eet
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith b
ike
lane
& n
o pa
rked
car
s
Rura
l roa
d, w
ith p
aved
sho
ulde
r &
bik
e sy
mbo
ls
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith b
ike
sym
bols
& n
o pa
rked
car
s
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith b
ike
lane
& p
arke
d ca
rs
Rura
l roa
d, w
ith p
aved
sho
ulde
r
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith b
ike
sym
bols
& p
arke
d ca
rs
Rura
l roa
d, n
o pa
ved
shou
lder
Maj
or s
tree
t, no
par
ked
cars
Maj
or s
tree
t, w
ith p
arke
d ca
rs
regular cyclists occasional cyclists potential cyclists
Separated from traffic
Quiet streets
Busy city streets & rural roads
+
–
Motivation … route type matters
Source: Winters et al, 2011 7
Top motivators Route ease & enjoyment • separate from traffic for
the whole route • beautiful scenery • gentle slopes • faster than other modes
Top deterrents
Route safety
• car, bus & truck traffic • vehicles driving faster than 50 km/h • motorists who don’t know how to drive safely near bikes • risk of injury from car-bike collisions
“Cycling in Cities”
Opinion Survey
N=1400 in Metro Vancouver
16 route types, 73 potential
motivators or deterrents
“Bicyclists’ Injuries & the Cycling Environment”
Case-Crossover Study
N=690 in Vancouver & Toronto
15 route types, other route
features
Two studies …
Injury risk … route type matters
1 2 Relative risk 1/10
Major streets with parked cars no bike infrastructure shared lane bike lane
Major streets, no parked cars
no bike infrastructure shared lane bike lane
Local streets
no bike infrastructure bike route bike route with traffic diverters bike route with traffic slowing
Separated from traffic
sidewalk multiuse path, paved multiuse path, unpaved bike only path cycle track
1/2
“Cycling in Cities”
Opinion Survey
N=1400 in Metro Vancouver
16 route types, 73 potential
motivators or deterrents
“Bicyclists’ Injuries & the Cycling Environment”
Case-Crossover Study
N=690 in Vancouver & Toronto
15 route types, other route
features
Do they agree?
Two studies …
Busy streets . . . arterials, collectors
400 to 2200 vehicles / hour 0 to 170 bikes / hour
Busy street, parked cars, no bike infrastructure Least safe, greatest deterrent to cycling
Photo Flickr: Café Mama
Photo Flickr: Café Mama
Rural road, no bike infrastructure Less safe, deters cycling
Photos: Jack Becker, Third Wave Cycling
[Sources: Teschke et al, 2012; Harris et al, 2013] Major street, sharrows Major street, parked cars,
painted bike lane
Busy street, sharrows Less safe, deters cycling
Photo Flickr: W.D. Vanlue
Major street, sharrows
Busy street, parked cars, bike lane Less safe, deters cycling
[Sources: Teschke et al, 2012; Harris et al, 2013]
Busy street, no parked cars, bike lane Safer, neutral impact on cycling
[Sources: Teschke et al, 2012; Harris et al, 2013]
Busy street, separated bike lane Safest, motivates cycling
Photo Flickr: Paul Krueger
Quiet streets . . . local, residential
10 to 130 vehicles / hour 0 to 110 bikes / hour
Quiet street Safer, neutral impact on cycling
Quiet street, bike route Safer, motivates cycling
[Sources: Teschke et al, 2012; Harris et al, 2013]
Quiet street, bike route, with traffic diversion Safest, motivates cycling
[Sources: Teschke et al, 2012; Harris et al, 2013]
Quiet street, bike route, with traffic circle Less safe, motivates cycling
Off-street . . . sidewalks, bike/multiuse paths
vehicles not counted 0 to 170 bikes / hour
Sidewalk Less safe
Photo: San Fransisco Citizen
Multi-use path Less safe, motivates cycling
Bike path Moderate safety, strongest cycling motivator
route safety
rout
e pr
efer
ence
Major street with parked cars
Major street shared lane, parked cars
Major street bike lane, parked cars
Major street shared lane, no parked cars
Major street no parked cars
Busy streets
Multiuse path paved
Multiuse path unpaved
Multi-use paths
Major street bike lane, no parked cars Residential street
Bike only path
Residential street bike route & traffic diverters Residential street
bike route
Cycle track
Bike-specific facilities
Do preferences & safety agree?
Quiet streets
bike routes with traffic diversion
Phot
os F
lickr
: Pau
l Kru
eger
Off-street
bike only paths
Busy streets
separated bike lanes “cycle tracks”
“Both Oulu and Copenhagen have extensive networks of cycle tracks and dedicated bike paths, which made the ride easy.
But something else was also different. It took a while for me to figure out what, but I eventually realized that I had relaxed. Unlike riding in Calgary, I wasn’t on constant lookout for cars
getting too close for comfort.
I could feel the difference in my gut.”
Tom Babin, Calgary Herald, February 26, 2013
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cyclingincities.spph.ubc.ca cyclingincities.spph.ubc.ca @kteschke
Photo: Ken Ohrn