Cycling Mobility in Puntarenas, Costa Rica: Aggregate Results

Abstract

Background Puntarenas is the main coastal city in Costa Rica. The canton has a population of around 130,000 people. The use of the bicycle is deeply rooted in the culture of mobility of many citizens within the municipality. This region concentrates the highest number of cyclists in the pacific coast. More than 15 kilometers of bikeway network have been built, mainly protected lanes, during the last decade to reduce risk exposure and accident rates. However, there are still areas with significant cyclist demand that lack of the appropriate infrastructure and safety measures; and therefore the importance of studying cycling mobility in the area. Methods Pneumatic tubes were installed in different locations of the canton to count cyclists during one week; and manual counts were made as well. A statistically representative sample size for the cyclist population in each site was estimated based on peak volume periods during the day, for a total of more than 600 cyclist intercept surveys that were applied randomly for characterizing trips and users. Results Road sections of higher cyclist frequency were determined based on the cycling trip characteristics, including detailed origins and destinations of these trips. These sections correspond with locations where cyclists were involved in injury-related or fatal crashes. Additionally, surveys revealed important socioeconomic features about cyclists; for instance, most of them were low-income and low-educational level males. Data also showed that most of the interviewed cyclists are everyday commuters, and 24 % of them declared to have suffered accidents while cycling, most of which took place on the street, involving motorized vehicles as well. Conclusions The most critical areas regarding cyclist volumes and accidents were identified, especially in two districts, where more than 700 cyclists during the peak hour move around despite the presence of high speed roads and absence of specialized cycling infrastructure for much safer trips. These results are a valuable outcome for future interventions and active mobility plans.