A Socio-Spatial Approach to Define Priority Areas for Bicycle Infrastructure Using Covid-19 Data

Abstract

The existing distribution of bicycle infrastructure is often quite unequal and concentrated in socially advantaged areas. One key issue is there remain less explored variables and models that could greatly assist in the equitable planning of new or improved bicycle infrastructure. To improve the allocation of cyclist-serving infrastructure, analysis should be: a) attuned to the needs of diverse users, b) temporally robust, and c) able to capture changes in use. I put forward an approach for siting bicycle infrastructure that utilizes administrative data, the inferential opportunity afforded by the interruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, and raster-based methods to describe a) where cycling behavior changed most during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic conditions, b) where positive changes in cycling behavior during the pandemic concentrate across space and key population groups, and c) where such concentrations, in tandem with social and infrastructure variables, suggest areas for cyclist-serving infrastructure expansion under an equity-oriented paradigm. I find that positive changes in bikeshare trip durations during the pandemic can associate with low socioeconomic status (SES) areas of Philadelphia, and that many streets in these underserved areas may benefit from new or improved bicycle infrastructure.