Walking and cycling friendliness as proxies to retrofit active transport infrastructure

Active transport modes, such as walking and cycling, have been promoted by scientific studies and policymakers due to congestion-reduction and health benefits, and low environmental impact. However, adequate infrastructure is necessary for citizens to exercise their choice for those modes. This article presents a case study on the active mode infrastructural condition of a city which, as many others, privileged motorized modes in its growth during the 20th century. Using walking and cycling friendliness as evaluators of the infrastructural condition and a Geographic Information System environment as the calculational tool, an accessibility-based analysis was carried out that enables policymakers to identify the main issues affecting those modes and, most importantly, to pinpoint specific problems that are common to both modes. The methodological approach is scalable to any city size and is a decision-aid tool that can provide value mainly by identifying those common problems which can be efficiently addressed in future infrastructural improvements and maintenance actions. For the case study, common problems turn out to lay along large, distributor roads which fail to provide active travellers with adequate safety from traffic. Based on the results, a concrete intervention plan is proposed, for which a cost-benefit analysis was carried out.