Evaluating the accessibility benefits of new cycling infrastructure using the logsum measure (work in progress)

Conventional transport project appraisal gives more weight to improvements in travel speeds and reductions in travel times than to improvements in accessibility. This results in perverse, unsustainable and costly transport investment decisions. It is a particularly unsuitable method of appraising cycling projects: time spent cycling can have positive utility in terms of enjoyment, exercise, health and other benefits, so reducing it isn’t necessarily a desirable outcome. Appraising cycling projects based on changes in accessibility could lead to a more effective and cost-efficient allocation of road space and infrastructure funding, and a more sustainable transport/land-use system in general. A utility-based (logsum) accessibility measure is ideal for measuring the benefits of cycling projects because it takes into account variations in individuals’ cycling preferences and perceptions, and can be converted to monetary units for use in economic cost-benefit analysis. It also enables measurement of accessibility changes for different population segments, e.g., no-car or low-income households. This approach will be used to measure the accessibility benefits of a new protected cycle path linking Sydney’s CBD with South Sydney, based on observations of travel behaviour and choices before and after construction.

• Summary URL:
  http://www.rciti.unsw.edu.au/2014-the-32nd-caitr-conference
• Authors:
  • Standen, C
  • Greaves, S
• Conference:
  • Conference of Australian Institutes of Transport Research (CAITR), 32nd, 2014, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• Publication Date: 2014-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 7p
• Monograph Title: 32nd Conference of Australian Institutes of Transport Research (CAITR), University of New South Wales, Sydney, 17-18th February 2014

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Bicycles; Bicycling; Bikeways; Evaluation; Modal shift; Modal split; Planning; Planning by facility or land use; Project management; Travel behavior
• Geographic Terms: Australia; Sydney (Australia)
• ATRI Terms: Bicycle network; Bicycle planning; Cost benefit analysis; Cycling; Modal shift; Project evaluation; Travel behaviour
• ITRD Terms: 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 1154: Network (transport)
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01525037
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: May 20 2014 12:50PM