01337937

Component

This article examines the impacts of bike lanes and bike paths on cycling levels in the 100 largest U.S. cities. The analysis is based on a newly assembled dataset on the length of bike lanes and paths collected directly from each city for the year 2008. Pearson’s correlation, bivariate quartile analysis, and three different types of regressions were used to measure the differential impacts of bike paths and lanes, as well as other explanatory and control variables. Ordinary Least Squares, Two Stage Least Squares, and Binary Logit Proportions regressions confirm that cities with a greater supply of bike paths and lanes have significantly higher cycling levels—even when controlling for land-use, climate, socioeconomic factors, cycling safety, and geography. Standard tests indicate that the models are a good fit, with R Squared ranging between 0.57 and 0.67. Computed coefficients have the expected signs for almost all variables in the various regression models. Estimated elasticities indicate that both off-street paths and on-street lanes have a similar positive association with cycling commute levels in U.S. cities (ε~|+0.25|). Our results validate earlier findings on the importance of separate facilities and provide additional information about potentially different impacts of paths vs. lanes.

01329018

11-1470

English

28p

2011

Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting

DVD

References (66) ; Tables (6)

Bicycle commuting; Bicycle facilities; Bicycle lanes; Bicycle travel; Bicycling; Bikeways; Cities; Multiple regression analysis; Safety; Traffic calming

Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; I70: Traffic and Transport

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2011 Paper #11-1470

TRIS, TRB

Feb 17 2011 5:49PM