ASSESSEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF BICYCLE PATHS AND ITS CORRELATION WITH BICYCLE USE IN FLORIANÓPOLIS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Bicycle paths are important infrastructures in the cities to promote active commuting. Thus, understanding the information inherent to their quality might help to understand their effects on human behavior. This study aimed at assessing the quality of the bike paths in the city of Florianopolisl by using the QualiCicle instrument. SOPARC tool was used to verify the use profile. A total of 38 cycling axes with a length of 54 km were selected. The qualitative analysis was classified as sufficient, with an overall average of 1.61 points. A total of 6,113 cyclists were observed; the majority was adult men who used to cycle in moderate intensity. Better-quality bike paths had a greater number of cyclists (50.5%). The logistic regression analyzes showed that young people are less likely to use cycle paths classified as ‘good’ ones (OR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.24-0.67). Considering per category, there is a greater chance of women to use bike paths with a ‘good/excellent’ infrastructure quality, and a ‘sufficient’ and ‘good/excellent’ signalization. It is concluded that Florianopolis has an adequate bikeway network; however, the infrastructure distribution and the cycle path connections are irregular along the city regions. A better quality of the cycling infrastructures can promote greater use by women and the elderly, groups that perform less physical activity.

Keywords

• Bicycle paths
• Cities
• Commuting
• Cycling infrastructure