Active transportation indicators and establishing baseline in a developing country context: A study of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Abstract

AbstractThis paper shares the findings of an active transportation (AT) study conducted in the context of a city in a developing country. First, a list of AT indicators was developed based on the literature review and expert opinion survey. Second, a face‐to‐face survey was conducted to collect information on individuals' socio‐demographic characteristics, travel behavior, AT mode choice, and their perceptions regarding the AT conditions in their neighborhoods. Analysis of the survey results suggests that several socio‐demographic characteristics are associated with AT use. For example, young adults and individuals with low income are the primary users of AT. Also, results suggest that students are mainly active commuters. The ratio of AT use increases with the number of bicycles in the household. Individuals tend to walk more when travel duration is less than 10 minutes. Educational areas are perceived as safer and convenient areas for using active modes of transport compared to other land‐use types. Also, a higher proportion of active commuters perceive local roads to be safer from vehicular traffic compared to main roads. Many sectors such as planning, transportation, health, and education as well as non‐government organizations will be benefited from this study.