Albuquerque, NM — Commuters may be more prone to ride a bike to work if a protected lane is available, a recent study led by a University of New Mexico researcher suggests.
Researchers analyzed six years of data covering more than 14,000 blocks in 28 cities across the United States. They examined 14 cities with high levels of bicycle commuting and 14 cities of similar sizes with “substantially lower levels” of bike commuters.
Findings show that protected bicycle lanes accommodated nearly twice as many bike commuters than standard bike lanes and more than four times as many commuters than areas without bike lanes.
The researchers said that although a greater number of bike commuters “is not necessarily an end in itself, it could help cities to lower fuel consumption, emissions and transportation costs while providing more mobility options to a greater percentage of the population, along with better health outcomes and better safety for bicyclists and nonbicyclist road users alike.”
In a press release, Nick Ferenchak, associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering and director of the university’s Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety, suggested that “cities that seek to boost bicycle commute mode shifts should focus on implementing low-stress bicycle facilities if they want to best facilitate the sizable population of less-confident potential riders.”
The study was published in the journal Nature Cities.
