A growing body of evidence links the built environment to physical activity levels, health outcomes, and transportation behaviors. However, little of this research has focused on cycling, a sustainable transportation option with great potential for growth in North America. This study examines associations between decisions to bicycle (versus drive) and the built environment, with explicit consideration of three different spatial zones that may be relevant in travel behavior: trip origins, trip destinations, and along the route between. We analyzed 3,280 utilitarian bicycle and car trips in Metro Vancouver, Canada made by 1,902 adults, including both current and potential cyclists. Objective measures were developed for built environment characteristics related to the physical environment, land use patterns, the road network, and bicycle-specific facilities. Multilevel logistic regression was used to model the likelihood that a trip was made by bicycle, adjusting for trip distance and personal demographics. Separate models were constructed for each spatial zone, and a global model examined the relative influence of the three zones. In total, 31% (1,023 out of 3,280) of trips were made by bicycle. Increased odds of bicycling were associated with less hilliness; higher intersection density; less highways and arterials; presence of bicycle signage, traffic calming, and cyclist-activated traffic lights; more neighborhood commercial, educational, and industrial land uses; greater land use mix; and higher population density. Different factors were important within each spatial zone. Overall, the characteristics of routes were more influential than origin or destination characteristics. These findings indicate that the built environment has a significant influence on healthy travel decisions, and spatial context is important. Future research should explicitly consider relevant spatial zones when investigating the relationship between physical activity and urban form.

Built Environment Influences on Healthy Transportation Choices: Bicycling versus Driving

The labeling and the categorizing of cyclists have been occurring for more than a century for a variety of purposes. This study examined a typology developed by the City of Portland, Oregon, that included four categories of cyclists: "the strong and the fearless," "the enthused and confident," "the interested but concerned," and "no way, no how." Unlike several other typologies, this widely referenced typology was intended to apply to all adults, regardless of their current cycling behavior. An analysis was conducted with data from a random phone survey (n = 908) of adults in the Portland region. Adults were placed into one of the four categories primarily on the basis of their stated comfort level with cycling on a variety of facility types, their interest in cycling as transportation, and their physical ability to bicycle. Nearly all of the sampled population fit clearly into one of the four categories. A majority (56%) of the region's population fit in the interested but concerned category, which was t...

Four Types of Cyclists? Examination of Typology for Better Understanding of Bicycling Behavior and Potential

Objectives. We compared cycling injury risks of 14 route types and other route infrastructure features.Methods. We recruited 690 city residents injured while cycling in Toronto or Vancouver, Canada. A case-crossover design compared route infrastructure at each injury site to that of a randomly selected control site from the same trip.Results. Of 14 route types, cycle tracks had the lowest risk (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02, 0.54), about one ninth the risk of the reference: major streets with parked cars and no bike infrastructure. Risks on major streets were lower without parked cars (adjusted OR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.41, 0.96) and with bike lanes (adjusted OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.29, 1.01). Local streets also had lower risks (adjusted OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.31, 0.84). Other infrastructure characteristics were associated with increased risks: streetcar or train tracks (adjusted OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 1.8, 5.1), downhill grades (adjusted OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.7, 3.1), and const...

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Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists: A Case-Crossover Study

Bikeway Networks: A Review of Effects on Cycling

http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30078063/garrard-cyclingasa-2016.pdf

Cycling as a Part of Daily Life: A Review of Health Perspectives

In a survey of 1,402 current and potential cyclists in Metro Vancouver, 73 motivators and deterrents of cycling were evaluated. The top motivators, consistent among regular, frequent, occasional and potential cyclists, were: routes away from traffic noise and pollution; routes with beautiful scenery; and paths separated from traffic. In factor analysis, the 73 survey items were grouped into 15 factors. The following factors had the most influence on likelihood of cycling: safety; ease of cycling; weather conditions; route conditions; and interactions with motor vehicles. These results indicate the importance of the location and design of bicycle routes to promote cycling.

Diana Kao

Papers

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