Cyclists’ evaluation of routes using ride-along questionnaires

The bicycle is a healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transport and one of the most important components of sustainable urban transport. To make cycling more attractive and convenient, cycling infrastructures and routes should be designed to allow safe, comfortable, stress-free, and convenient cycling. But which infrastructures are attractive for cycling? What are the similarities and differences between attractive and unattractive infrastructures for cycling? In a cycling study with ride-along questionnaires, 41 participants cycled route segments that varied in infrastructural characteristics such as the cycling facility, surface, or gradient. Each segment was evaluated on multiple criteria and the ride was followed by a short, structured interview to examine the participants’ reasons for the given evaluations. The results of two cluster analyses of the criteria revealed that infrastructures can be characterized by their evaluation on the mental effort required, the cycling comfort, and the attractiveness of the surrounding. The results strengthen the positive effects of wide and traffic-calmed infrastructure, even if it has to be shared with pedestrians, but they also emphasize the negative impact of adjacent motor traffic on cyclists’ perception of the environment. The findings of our study provide valuable insights into cyclists’ perception and evaluation of various cycling infrastructures. Furthermore, they elaborate similarities and dissimilarities between infrastructures that help to identify the specific characteristics that increase the attractiveness of cycling infrastructure. • Cycling routes are evaluated by mental effort, cycling comfort, and pleasantness. • Cycling routes differ by the extent they contribute to these three criteria. • Shared facilities can be valuable alternatives to separate cycling facilities. • Separated facilities unpleasant due to pollution from adjacent motor traffic.