Development and Evaluation of Infrastructure Strategies for Safer Cycling

In recent years there has been an increasing number of recreational and bicycle commuters in the United States. Although bicycle users still represent a very small mode share, municipalities have been attempting to further encourage the health, economic, and environmental benefits of cycling by implementing new and innovative bicycle infrastructure treatments. However, many of these treatments have only been recently implemented in a few locations and are often constructed with little or no understanding of their effects on user behavior. Currently, there is a substantial amount of research investigating bicyclist behavior, as well as operations and safety from the cyclists’ perspective of such innovative treatments. However, there is little research conducted from the drivers’ perspective towards cyclists and bicycle infrastructure. With approximately 75 percent of all bicycle-vehicle crashes occurring at intersections, there especially is a need to investigate driver behavior at intersections with unfamiliar bicycle treatments. This project report provides an in-depth evaluation of driver behavior from the driver’s perspective when approaching new and unfamiliar bicycle infrastructure intersection treatments. It utilizes a driving simulator as well as participant questionnaires to determine whether any patterns or causalities exist between bicycle infrastructure treatments and driver behavior. The results of this study indicate that there is a correlation between driver behavior and the level of familiarity with bicycle infrastructure treatments as well as cycling experience. This in-depth study can help inform design, education, or other countermeasures for safer operations.

• Record URL:
  http://safersim.nads-sc.uiowa.edu/final_reports/UM-2-Y1_Report.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Massachusetts, Amherst

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  130 Natural Resources Road
  Amherst, MA  United States  01003

  Safety Research Using Simulation University Transportation Center (SaferSim)

  University of Iowa
  Iowa City, IA  United States  52242

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Christofa, Eleni
  • Knodler, Michael
  • Fournier, Nicholas
• Publication Date: 2017-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 36p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Bicycling; Cyclists; Drivers; Driving simulators; Evaluation and assessment; Highway design; Infrastructure; Intersections; Traffic safety
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01632764
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: UTC, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 27 2017 11:44AM