Catalysts and Magnets Built Environment Effects on Bicycle Commuting

What effects do bicycle infrastructure and the built environment have on people’s decisions to commute by bicycle? While many studies have considered this question, commonly employed methodologies fail to address the unique statistical challenge of modeling such a low mode share. Additionally, self selection effects that are not adequately accounted for may lead to overestimation of built environment impacts. This study addresses these two key issues by using a zero-inflated negative binomial model to jointly estimate participation in and frequency of commuting by bicycle, controlling for demo- graphics, residential preferences, and travel attitudes. The findings suggest a strong self selection effect and modest contributions of bicycle accessibility: that bicycle lanes act as “magnets" to attract bicyclists to a neighborhood, rather than being the “catalyst" that encourages non-bikers to shift modes. The results have implications for planners and policymakers attempting to increase bicycling mode share via the strategic infrastructure development.

• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANF20 Bicycle Transportation. Alternate title: Catalysts and Magnets: Effects of Built Environment on Bicycle Commuting
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Schoner, Jessica E
  • Cao, Xinyu
  • Levinson, David M
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
• Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 21p
• Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycle commuting; Bicycle lanes; Binomial distributions; Built environment; Modal split; Urban design
• Identifier Terms: Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial
• Uncontrolled Terms: Self-selection
• Subject Areas: Design; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01516692
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-5702
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 3 2014 9:28AM