Citation

Okraszewska R, Kijewska K, Wachnicka J, Mikusova M. Arch. Civ. Eng. 2021; 67(4): 415-432.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Polish Academy of Sciences, Publisher Walter de Gruyter)

DOI

10.24425/ACE.2021.138509

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Bicycle lanes are lanes marked on a road and dedicated for exclusive use for cyclists.. Because they combine bike and motor traffic they provide directness and flow. However, a shared use of streets could result in bicycle-car accidents. Following up on the good practice Western countries have in planning cycle infrastructure, Gdańsk has recently introduced bike lanes on a few streets. The aim of the research was to assess the attractiveness and safety of bike lanes as a relatively new and rare solution in Gdansk. The attractiveness was assessed using the multi-criteria method. The data for the assessment came from surveys and fieldwork (inventory, observation of cyclist behaviour, traffic counts). Additionally, safety information was supplemented with police statistics on collisions and accidents. The results show that the level of bike lane usage is rather high (more than 70%). However, 80% of the respondents do not find them as attractive as separated bike paths. The advantages indicated by bike lane users included speed, surface quality, and comfort. Those who avoiding bike lanes have pointed to insufficient sense of safety. The main problems were identified such as speed and volume of motor traffic, width of bicycle lane, surface quality and parking places located next to bike lanes. The conclusions from the research are consistent with the literature. The findings could improve the attractiveness and safety of bike lanes in Gdańsk if implemented by bike infrastructure planners and designers.

Keywords: bike lanes, road safety, attractiveness assessment

Language: en