Studying the Impact of Infrastructure on Cyclist Route Selection: Real-world Data Mining

Due to urbanisation and increased environmental awareness, many developed countries have put much effort into promoting sustainable mobility modes. Cycling is one option to replace motorised transport in cities. However, this shift often requires the transformation of the urban environment to be more suitable for cyclists. In this paper, we study the spatial and temporal patterns of cyclists and the influence of cycling infrastructure on their route choices using OpenStreetMap street tag information. A dataset of 290,117 unique trips collected over six months in Bologna, Italy, was used to gain insight into cyclist behaviour and preferences in an urban environment. The bicycle in Bologna is used as a means of transportation mainly for short-and medium-distance trips. The analysis of this dataset revealed the routine of cyclists in different periods: peak hours in the workday morning and evening and periods with lower activities during weekends. Generally, cyclists prefer streets with good cycling infrastructure and avoid streets with heavy traffic. In the suburban area, cyclists prefer bigger roads which lead towards the city centre, while in the city centre preference is on roads which avoid narrow streets in the old town. The obtained results may help to grasp the reasons behind specific route preferences, and they can be used to find opportunities to improve cycling infrastructure for a better and safer urban environment.