Determinants of urban cycling from the perspective of Bronfenbrenner's ecological model

Purpose: Human behavior is complex, resulting from dynamic person-environment interactions. The study of determinants in an ecological model can be useful to understand this complexity. When it comes to bicycle commuting, previous research has identified several individual and environmental determinants that can influence behaviour and likelihood to cycle. The purpose of this article is to provide an analytical framework integrating the determinants of cycling in an analysis from the perspective of Bronfenbrenner's ecological model. Methodology: Through a literature review, we select scientific articles that include studies conducted from a variety of cities in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Findings: As a result, the article presents the determining factors for bicycle commuting in a diagram based on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model. Research limitation: Further research, which may include a systematic or an umbrella review, could be conducted to confirm the determining factors that influence bicycle commuting in urban areas. In addition, broader work is needed to understand which factors influence the adhesion of shared bicycles and how they fit into the ecological model proposed by Bronfenbrenner. Originality: Our article provides guidelines for an analytic framework that can be a useful tool in case studies or comparative research on mobility and urbanism.

Bikeway Provision and Bicycle Commuting: City-Level Empirical Findings from the US

The growing worldwide awareness of the significant benefits of bicycling as an urban transport mode has aroused great interest in exploring the role that bikeways play in promoting utilitarian bicycling. However, few studies assess the contribution of citywide bikeway provision with the inclusion of all facility types and differentiation of facility utilities. This study provides new evidence by evaluating the collective effects of bikeway kilometers per square kilometer, bikeway kilometers per 10,000 population, and low-stress bikeway proportion on the bicycle-commuting share in 28 US cities between 2005 and 2017. Using linear panel regression models, we found that the expansion of citywide bikeway infrastructure positively influences the share of commute trips by bicycle. The results also indicated that the proportion of low-stress bikeways has a stronger impact on the bicycling-to-work share than bikeway kilometers per 10,000 population, while the impact of bikeway kilometers per square kilometer ranks last. These findings may aid policy makers and planners in formulating sound city-level bikeway policies favoring sustainable urban transportation scenarios.

Disparities in Bicycle Commuting: Could Bike Lane Investment Widen the Gap?

This article examines how bicycle commuting is associated with bike lane access and sociodemographic advantage at the block group level in twenty-two U.S. cities. Using regression models with interaction terms, I find that associations between bike lanes and bicycle commuting are stronger among more advantaged block groups, due primarily to limited bicycle commuting in disadvantaged block groups even when bike lanes are present. This indicates the importance of considering heterogeneous effects in planning research and suggests that bike lane investment, in isolation, could widen sociodemographic disparities in cycling and its benefits if non-infrastructure barriers to cycling are not also addressed.

Potential for reduced premature mortality by current and increased bicycle commuting: a health impact assessment using registry data on home and work addresses in Stockholm, Sweden

ObjectivesThe study aims to make use of individual data to estimate the impact on premature mortality due to both existing commuter bicycling and the potential impact due to increased physical activity through shifting transport mode from car commuting to bicycling.MethodsUsing registry data on home and work addresses for the population of Stockholm County the shortest bicycling route on a network of bicycle paths and roads was retrieved. Travel survey data were used to establish current modes of commuting. The relation between duration of bicycling and distance bicycled within the general population in 2015 was established as a basis for identifying individuals that currently drive a car to work but were estimated to have the physical capacity to bicycle to work within 30 min. Within this mode-shift scenario from car-to-bike the duration of bicycling per week was estimated, both among current and potential bicycle commuters. The health impact assessment (HIA) on mortality due to bicycle commuting physical activity was estimated using the same relative risk as within the WHO Health Economic Assessment Tool.ResultsThe current number of bicycle commuters were 53 000, and the scenario estimated an additional 111 000. Their mean bicycle distances were 4.5 and 3.4 km, respectively. On average these respective amounts of physical activity reduced the yearly mortality by 16% and 12%, resulting in 11.3 and 16.2 fewer preterm deaths per year.ConclusionThe HIA of transferring commuting by car to bicycle estimated large health benefits due to increased physical activity.

Potential Effects on Travelers’ Air Pollution Exposure and Associated Mortality Estimated for a Mode Shift from Car to Bicycle Commuting

This study aims to use dispersion-modeled concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and black carbon (BC) to estimate bicyclist exposures along a network of roads and bicycle paths. Such modeling was also performed in a scenario with increased bicycling. Accumulated concentrations between home and work were thereafter calculated for both bicyclists and drivers of cars. A transport model was used to estimate traffic volumes and current commuting preferences in Stockholm County. The study used individuals’ home and work addresses, their age, sex, and an empirical model estimate of their expected physical capacity in order to establish realistic bicycle travel distances. If car commuters with estimated physical capacity to bicycle to their workplace within 30 min changed their mode of transport to bicycle, >110,000 additional bicyclists would be achieved. Time-weighted mean concentrations along paths were, among current bicyclists, reduced from 25.8 to 24.2 μg/m3 for NOx and 1.14 to 1.08 μg/m3 for BC. Among the additional bicyclists, the yearly mean NOx dose from commuting increased from 0.08 to 1.03 μg/m3. This would be expected to yearly cause 0.10 fewer deaths for current bicycling levels and 1.7 more deaths for additional bicycling. This increased air pollution impact is much smaller than the decrease in the total population.