Improved Infrastructure Increases Individual Excursions

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By Charles Pekow — We all know that city bike riding is increasing in the USA. So is the amount of cycling infrastructure. But to what extent do increases in the latter cause increases in the former? And what aspects of increased infrastructure might help?

Berkeley’s great bike paths led it to rank third among medium sized cities. Photo by Dave Iltis
Berkeley’s great bike paths led it to rank third among medium sized cities. Photo by Dave Iltis

Researchers at several institutes of higher education took a look at 12 American cities over 13 years. Some of their findings:

  • Adding off-street trails increased cycling 6-14 percent, with the biggest increases in afternoon peak periods.
  • More cyclists were observed going through intersections when sharrows and low speed limits were added.
  • It didn’t matter whether an intersection was a common route between destinations.

Find Impacts of Bicycle Infrastructure and Network Characteristics on Bicycle Traffic over Time in 12 US Cities at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381850582_Impacts_of_Bicycle_Infrastructure_and_Network_Characteristics_on_Bicycle_Traffic_over_Time_in_12_US_Cities

 

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Charles Pekow
Charles Pekow is an award-winning Washington correspondent who has written about bicycling for years in publications such as the Washington Post, Bicycle Times, Dirt Rag, SPOKES, etc. as well as Cycling West/Cycling Utah. He also writes frequently on environmental issues and beer, among other topics. Weather permitting, you'll find him most weekends and some summer evenings astride a bicycle in a park. He is also a charter member of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.