Citation

Chen X, Fang X, Ye J, Luttinen T. Transp. Res. Rec. 2017; 2662: 116-124.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.3141/2662-13

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The bicycle is an important part of the urban transportation system in China. Traditional research on bicycle levels of service concentrated on the cyclists' perspective and neglected bicyclists' particularity and diversity. The objectives of this research were to propose bicycle level-of-service (BLOS) models from the users' perspective and to develop a new BLOS criterion on the basis of a new classification of persons. The key influential factors of BLOS were classified into three categories: safety, comfort, and air quality. The stepwise regression analysis was employed to develop the BLOS models on the basis of influential factors and volunteers' ratings. To isolate the significant difference of the BLOS requirements, cyclists were divided into four groups: users with special requirements, attempters, frequent users, and enthusiasts. New BLOS criteria corresponding to the classification of cyclists and BLOS models were developed.

RESULTS showed that the nonmotorized vehicle lane width, the form of separation between motorized and nonmotorized vehicle lanes, moped speed, and proportion of roadside planting were the significant influential factors of the corresponding models. The fact that the developed BLOS models and classification criteria could improve cycling facilities proved to be quite applicable and reasonable.

RESULTS can be used to draw two classification maps of BLOS on the bike lanes of main roads in China as an example of an application. The results described in this paper can help decision makers find significant factors affecting cyclists' satisfaction at road segments and determine the order of the improvements to be made in the nonmotorized vehicle lane.

Language: en