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Did Safe Cycling Infrastructure Still Matter During a COVID-19 Lockdown?

Author

Listed:
  • Jinhyun Hong

    (Department of Urban Studies, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK)

  • David McArthur

    (Department of Urban Studies, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK)

  • Varun Raturi

    (Department of Urban Studies, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK)

Abstract

The UK government introduced strict measures (including asking people to work from home and a lockdown) to slow the spread of COVID-19 by limiting people’s movement. This led to substantial reductions in traffic, making roads much safer for cyclists. This provides a unique opportunity to study the role played by safe cycling infrastructure. Many UK cities have provided cycling infrastructure to improve safety and encourage cycling. However, access to safe cycling infrastructure varies across neighbourhoods, potentially contributing to inequality. Since roads became safer due to the unprecedented reduction in traffic during the lockdown, safe cycling infrastructure may not play a significant role during this period. On the other hand, safe cycling lanes are often connected to amenities, potentially attracting cyclists even if they confer no additional safety benefit. That is, connectivity might matter more than safety. In this study, we utilised crowdsourced cycling data and regression models to examine the extent to which cycling intensity for non-commuting purposes changes with different types of cycling infrastructure in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. In addition, we selected some areas with large increases in cycling intensity and examined the surrounding environments using Google Street View. Our results showed that non-commuting cycling activities increased significantly after the government interventions on both typical roads and safe cycling lanes while much higher increases were observed on safe cycling lanes than on other roads. A further analysis showed that there were large increases in cycling volumes on both typical roads and safe cycling lanes with good amenities and connectivity, highlighting the importance of these factors when building new cycling infrastructure. Since safe cycling lanes are not equally accessible to people, providing temporary cycling lanes during the pandemic considering these conditions could encourage people to cycle more, and thereby improve their health.

Suggested Citation

  • Jinhyun Hong & David McArthur & Varun Raturi, 2020. "Did Safe Cycling Infrastructure Still Matter During a COVID-19 Lockdown?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8672-:d:431298
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Alexandros Nikitas & Stefanos Tsigdinos & Christos Karolemeas & Efthymia Kourmpa & Efthimios Bakogiannis, 2021. "Cycling in the Era of COVID-19: Lessons Learnt and Best Practice Policy Recommendations for a More Bike-Centric Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-25, April.
    3. Haruka Kato & Daisuke Matsushita, 2021. "Changes in Walkable Streets during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Suburban City in the Osaka Metropolitan Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-20, July.
    4. Mohammad Anwar Alattar & Caitlin Cottrill & Mark Beecroft, 2021. "Sources and Applications of Emerging Active Travel Data: A Review of the Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-17, June.
    5. Xiaozhou Ye, 2022. "Bike-Sharing Adoption in Cross-National Contexts: An Empirical Research on the Factors Affecting Users’ Intentions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-19, March.
    6. Langton, Samuel & Farrell, Graham & Dixon, Anthony, 2020. "Six Months In: Pandemic Crime Trends in England and Wales," SocArXiv t7ne8, Center for Open Science.
    7. Valenzuela-Levi, N. & Echiburu, T. & Correa, J. & Hurtubia, R. & Muñoz, J.C., 2021. "Housing and accessibility after the COVID-19 pandemic: Rebuilding for resilience, equity and sustainable mobility," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 48-60.
    8. Naseri, Mahsa & Delbosc, Alexa & Kamruzzaman, Liton, 2023. "The role of neighbourhood design in cycling activity during COVID-19: An exploration of the Melbourne experience," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).

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