Can pedestrians and cyclists share the same space? The case of a city with low cycling levels and experience

Abstract

Transport policy objectives, as well as lack of space in the built environment make clear that the coexistence of pedestrians and cyclists is an important issue. For that reason, a survey was conducted on two sidewalks and one pedestrian street in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece where the cycling volumes and cycling experience are still low; however efforts are being made to promote active transport modes (e.g. cycling, walking). In the analysis made in this paper, an ordinal regression model was developed that utilizes questionnaire survey data and field measurements. The aim of the ordinal regression model is to identify and quantify the impact of geometric, functional and social factors on pedestrians' perception about the presence of bicycles and the infrastructure level of service (LOS). The results show a clear difference in the perceptions according to gender and age. Females tend to perceive lower LOS and the same applies for the younger people. Regarding the geometric and functional attributes, pedestrian unit flow rate has been found to affect perceived LOS to a large extent. Another conclusion that emerges from the analysis is the importance of a proper distribution of the available space between pedestrians and cyclists, as over-dimensioning of the bicycle lane has a significant impact on the perceptions of pedestrians, regardless the bicycle volumes.