Changes in cycling following an infrastructure intervention

Stephen Greaves, Richard Ellison, Adrian Ellison, Melanie Crane, Chris Rissel, Chris Standen

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

As part of the effort to stem the growing obesity epidemic, as well as meet more general objectives around sustainable urban transport systems, many Australian cities are investing in infrastructure designed to encourage use of active travel, particularly cycling and walking. However, questions remain around the impact of such interventions due to the lack of before and after information on travel characteristics. The current paper reports on changes in cycling for a cohort of the population before and after the installation of a major piece of separated cycleway in inner-Sydney. Data for this investigation comes from the Sydney Travel and Health Study, a multi-year study of travel, quality of life, and physical activity of inhabitants of inner-city Sydney. The cohort comprises 435 participants (aged 18-59, without disability and who had ever ridden a bicycle) who completed a questionnaire capturing physical activity and demographic information, plus a 7-day online travel diary both before and four months after construction of the cycleway. The travel diary forms the basis for analysis in this paper. The sample is split between the area around the cycleway (intervention area) and a neighbouring area where no cycleway is being constructed (control area). Results at the aggregate level show cycling trips have remained stable in the intervention area (7.66% to 7.59%, ns) and control areas (4.48% to 4.20%, ns). Around three-quarters of those cycling did so in both waves. Kernel density spatial estimation methods suggest a shift in the destination of cycling trips to an area in close proximity to the cycleway, indicative of a destination-choice effect on cycling trips if not cycling rates per se. Finally, we anticipate it needs longer than four months for a discernible effect of the new cycleway to be assessed, something that will be assessed through a further round of data collection from the cohort participants planned for later in 2015.

Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes
EventAustralasian Transport Research Forum - Sydney, Australia
Duration: 30 Sept 20152 Oct 2015
Conference number: 37th

Conference

ConferenceAustralasian Transport Research Forum
Abbreviated titleATRF 2015
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CitySydney
Period30/09/152/10/15

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