"If you want more groups to cycle, you can't just build more cycle paths": Researcher behind study into attitudes towards cycling suggests "range of needs and preferences" must be considered

A researcher from Malmö University who studied attitudes towards cycling has suggested that building more cycle paths is just one part of encouraging more people to cycle and that there is "a range of needs and preferences to consider".

Zahra Hamidi published her work 'Examining Inequalities in Cycling Motility: A Pathway Towards Cycling Justice' with Malmö University Publications, in which she aimed to inform policies to promote cycling by "providing insights into what could make cycling achievable for more diverse social groups through engaging with theoretical perspectives from transport geography, the mobilities paradigm and social justice".

Speaking to Phys.Org Hamidi explained her view that building more cycle lanes is just one part of the equation to get more people cycling, but it is not sufficient on its own to achieve that goal.

"If you want more groups to cycle, you can't just build more cycle paths," she said about her research, which included examining attitudes towards cycling via a survey of a representative sample of 1,145 people in Gothenburg and Malmö.

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By noting responses on the availability of different forms of transport in households, travel habits, attitudes towards cycling and considerations of safety, Hamidi also looked into factors which may define an individual's potential to cycle, such as bicycle access, ability and knowledge of cycling, if their self-image fits cycling, and whether their social group has a positive image of cycling.

It is these factors, accessibility, knowledge and attitudes which Hamidi suggests determines whether people cycle or choose alternative modes of transport, and therefore she concludes, "If you want more groups to cycle, you can't just build more cycle paths".

"The study shows that higher income is linked to higher potential for cycling. For example, you need a smartphone to locate app-managed municipal bicycle docking stations," she said, while adding that older people's potential for cycling is often impacted by them finding bicycles less suitable for their needs and abilities, potentially suggesting the potential benefits of more widespread use of electric bikes.

"Cyclists are not a homogenous group, and today there are many types of bikes that can make cycling easier for people with different abilities," she said. "It therefore needs to be recognised that there is a range of needs and preferences among cyclists. Those who need assistance to go out should perhaps be offered help. You may be able to afford to buy an electric bike, but you also need to feel that it's safe to cycle. There is a range of needs and preferences to consider."

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In May, we reported a study from Australia which concluded that cycling infrastructure should be built with women in mind and that it is "about planning for the trips that aren't taken as well as those that are".

"Gender differences were stark in terms of the barriers,"  Dr Lauren Pearson said. "We were really surprised at just how substantial these differences were, and how many women were reporting these concerns."

Having surveyed 717 women across 10 Melbourne areas, Dr Pearson was able to assess the factors preventing more women from cycling, research that showed 77 per cent of women are interested in riding a bike, suggesting "massive potential" for enabling active travel further.

One such suggestion that came from the survey was segregation, the study noting that physical separation from motor traffic "may support more women to ride a bike through reducing motor vehicle interactions", something many said they lacked confidence with.

Compared to men the survey showed that the women were less comfortable with the idea of cycling near traffic, and would be encouraged by segregated cycle lanes. Nearly half of the women surveyed said well-lit areas are an enabler of them cycling.