The Challenge: When planners and policy-makers look to make new investments in the transportation system, they turn to travel demand models to see what the effects of those investments will be. Because of the wealth of research backing them up, these models do well at predicting how automobile drivers will respond to a new freeway or arterial lane. Those same models, however, have either ignored bicycle trips altogether or treated them simplistically.
Make an impact: A policy-maker seeking to increase active trips has little idea which investment would accomplish that goal, putting bicycle projects at a disadvantage. Information on cyclists' actual routes are needed to determine which routes they prefer and why.
What the findings are about: This brief discusses findings from research in Portland, OR on cyclists related to route choices - determining the attractiveness of paths, bike boulevards and the effect of intersection design, turns and slope. The brief also explains how the research has been incorporated into the regional travel demand model that helps inform regional and local transportation investments.
