ebmgh.com

I continue to be impressed by the Cycling in Cities project at the University of British Columbia, the people behind the Cycling Route Planner for Vancouver,  and an impressive body of research. This is what cycle mapping looks like when it’s done with academic rigor and proper funding. Instead of assuming they know what needs to be fixed to get more people on bikes, they did the unthinkable: they actually went out and asked them!

Their opinion survey found:

Of the 73 features that might influence likelihood of cycling, the following were the top 10 motivators with average scores from +0.5 to +0.8 (with a maximum possible of +1=”much more likely to cycle”):

• the route is away from traffic noise and air pollution
• the route has beautiful scenery
• the route has bicycle paths separated from traffic for the entire distance
• the route is flat
• cycling to the destination takes less time than travelling by other modes
• the distance to my destination is less than 5 km
• I can make the trip in daylight hours
• I can take my bike on the Skytrain at any time
• a 2-way off-street bike path has a reflective centre line for night and poor weather cycling
• secure indoor bike storage is available at my destination

The following were the top 10 deterrents with average scores from -0.9 to -0.6 (with a minimum possible of -1=”much less likely to cycle”):

• the route is snowy or icy
• the street has a lot of car, bus, or truck traffic
• the route has glass or debris
• vehicles drive faster than 50 km/h [30 mph]
• the risk from motorists who don’t know how to drive safely near bicycles
• the risk of injury from car-bike collisions
• it is raining
• the route has surfaces that can be slick when wet or icy when cold
• the route is not well lit after dark
• I need to carry bulky or heavy items

Additionally, and relevant to the what we’re trying to do here in the Bay Area, the survey found that “the availability of a web-based bicycle trip planning tool was a motivating factor for both current and potential cyclists.”

I think it’s relevant to ask: how much do Vancouverites’ attitudes coincide with those in the US? We are all North Americans right? We share a dependence on fossil fuels and motor vehicles for transportation. How similar would the survey results be if they were done in an American city like San Francisco or Oakland?