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Investigating the Effect of Different Bike Lane Types on Bicyclists’ Safety and Behavior in Baltimore City
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2025-02-05
[PDF-1.87 MB]
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Abstract:Safety perception plays a significant role in the decision to use bicycles, often surpassing bike infrastructure in importance. The main goal of this study is to reduce the number of crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists and improve their safety in Baltimore City by exploring the effects of different built environment features and various bike lane types. A combination of spatial analysis, an online survey of over 110 participants, and a bike simulator experiment with ten participants were used to explore these objectives. Baltimore’s Census Tracts were spatially analyzed using ArcGIS Pro to determine the distribution of bike infrastructure and bicycle crashes. The Bicycle Equity Index (BEI) was utilized to evaluate vulnerable groups’ access to infrastructure. The length of bike lanes and bicycle crashes were positively and significantly correlated using regression models, indicating that longer lanes are associated with a higher risk of crashes, likely due to poor design or lack of maintenance. Online survey results revealed that participants preferred physically separated bike lanes, trails, and side paths, emphasizing the need for infrastructure that separates cyclists from general traffic. Additionally, survey results revealed concerns about critical safety issues such as poor bike lane conditions, merging vehicles, and the lack of bike lanes in some areas. Considerably, respondents indicated a willingness to cycle more frequently if safety improvements were made. The bike simulator analysis supported these findings, showing that participants felt safest in lanes with physical barriers. Although shared bus-bike lanes gained popularity after the simulation, shared lanes without separation remained the least favored and were perceived as the least safe. The spatial analysis, survey, and bike simulator experiment results reveal a consistent theme: safety concerns are a significant barrier to increased cycling in Baltimore City. The lack of continuous and well-designed bike lanes, particularly in disadvantaged areas, contributes to a higher crash risk and discourages cycling as a mode of transportation. More extended bike lanes are linked to more crashes, possibly because they are poorly designed and lack safety elements like physical barriers and apparent signs. The simulator and survey results prove the need for separated bike lanes, improved lighting, and better enforcement of cyclist traffic laws
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