Perception of Barriers for the Use of Bicycles

Abstract

The objective of the research described in this article was to evaluate the perception of a group of individuals with respect to barriers that may hinder the use of bicycles for commuting. Data collection was carried out with 380 college students in three Brazilian cities. In order to assess the perception of barriers, a questionnaire, based on the dimensions of the Theory of Planned Behavior, was prepared. The selection of the barriers to be used in the survey was made after a review of several papers published in referenced periodicals and included: lack of cycling infrastructure, lack of safety, distance to be travelled, physical fitness, slopes and climate. The results show that the strongest perceived barrier (smallest behavioral control) in all three cities is the lack of dedicated cycling infrastructure. This result emphasizes how important an adequate cycling network is for encouraging and increasing the use of bicycles for commuting. The analysis of the size of cities versus the perceived behavioral control revealed that the larger the city the lower the level of behavioral control (stronger barriers).