Assessment methods for bicycle environment safety and comfort: A scoping review

Bicycle use is associated with health benefits due to increased physical activity. Encouraging cycling in cities requires the establishment of supportive infrastructure. Various assessment methods have been developed to evaluate bicycle infrastructures' safety, comfort, and efficiency. This sco...

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Main Authors: Tufail Ahmed, Ali Pirdavani, Irene Febryana Sitohang, Geert Wets, Davy Janssens
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Sustainable Futures
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825000279
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author Tufail Ahmed
Ali Pirdavani
Irene Febryana Sitohang
Geert Wets
Davy Janssens
author_facet Tufail Ahmed
Ali Pirdavani
Irene Febryana Sitohang
Geert Wets
Davy Janssens
author_sort Tufail Ahmed
collection DOAJ
description Bicycle use is associated with health benefits due to increased physical activity. Encouraging cycling in cities requires the establishment of supportive infrastructure. Various assessment methods have been developed to evaluate bicycle infrastructures' safety, comfort, and efficiency. This scoping review provides an overview of the methods used to assess bicycle infrastructure, as reported in relevant studies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in three scientific databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar) using the PRISMA guideline extension for scoping the reviews. The retrieved articles were screened, coded, and synthesized according to the eligibility criteria. Fifty-five articles met the criteria and were included in the scoping review. The assessment methodologies primarily focused on four aspects: vibration or roughness index, Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS), Bikeability Index (BI), and Bicycle Safety Index (BSI). Questionnaires (evaluation platforms), bicycles, GIS, and video cameras were the most commonly used equipment/resources. Roughness index assessments relied on objective data, such as acceleration values, and some studies validated their findings using cyclists' subjective comfort perception. On the other hand, subjective data were predominantly used for BLOS assessment. The BIs present a more comprehensive analysis of bicycles by including more components of bicycle infrastructure design. Methodologies have been developed to evaluate various aspects of the bicycle infrastructure. However, selecting appropriate methods for specific contexts cannot be undermined. This review article provides a helpful guide on selecting an appropriate methodology for the unique characteristics of the study area that enhances the effectiveness of bicycle infrastructure evaluation.
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spelling doaj-art-484eafc0846c41caa734304f684761562025-01-28T04:14:54ZengElsevierSustainable Futures2666-18882025-06-019100457Assessment methods for bicycle environment safety and comfort: A scoping reviewTufail Ahmed0Ali Pirdavani1Irene Febryana Sitohang2Geert Wets3Davy Janssens4UHasselt, The Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium; Corresponding author.UHasselt, The Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium; UHasselt, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Agoralaan, 3590 Diepenbeek, BelgiumUHasselt, The Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, BelgiumUHasselt, The Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, BelgiumUHasselt, The Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, BelgiumBicycle use is associated with health benefits due to increased physical activity. Encouraging cycling in cities requires the establishment of supportive infrastructure. Various assessment methods have been developed to evaluate bicycle infrastructures' safety, comfort, and efficiency. This scoping review provides an overview of the methods used to assess bicycle infrastructure, as reported in relevant studies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in three scientific databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar) using the PRISMA guideline extension for scoping the reviews. The retrieved articles were screened, coded, and synthesized according to the eligibility criteria. Fifty-five articles met the criteria and were included in the scoping review. The assessment methodologies primarily focused on four aspects: vibration or roughness index, Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS), Bikeability Index (BI), and Bicycle Safety Index (BSI). Questionnaires (evaluation platforms), bicycles, GIS, and video cameras were the most commonly used equipment/resources. Roughness index assessments relied on objective data, such as acceleration values, and some studies validated their findings using cyclists' subjective comfort perception. On the other hand, subjective data were predominantly used for BLOS assessment. The BIs present a more comprehensive analysis of bicycles by including more components of bicycle infrastructure design. Methodologies have been developed to evaluate various aspects of the bicycle infrastructure. However, selecting appropriate methods for specific contexts cannot be undermined. This review article provides a helpful guide on selecting an appropriate methodology for the unique characteristics of the study area that enhances the effectiveness of bicycle infrastructure evaluation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825000279Active transportSustainable transportBicyclingAssessment methodsBicycle infrastructurePhysical activity
spellingShingle Tufail Ahmed
Ali Pirdavani
Irene Febryana Sitohang
Geert Wets
Davy Janssens
Assessment methods for bicycle environment safety and comfort: A scoping review
Sustainable Futures
Active transport
Sustainable transport
Bicycling
Assessment methods
Bicycle infrastructure
Physical activity
title Assessment methods for bicycle environment safety and comfort: A scoping review
title_full Assessment methods for bicycle environment safety and comfort: A scoping review
title_fullStr Assessment methods for bicycle environment safety and comfort: A scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Assessment methods for bicycle environment safety and comfort: A scoping review
title_short Assessment methods for bicycle environment safety and comfort: A scoping review
title_sort assessment methods for bicycle environment safety and comfort a scoping review
topic Active transport
Sustainable transport
Bicycling
Assessment methods
Bicycle infrastructure
Physical activity
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825000279
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AT irenefebryanasitohang assessmentmethodsforbicycleenvironmentsafetyandcomfortascopingreview
AT geertwets assessmentmethodsforbicycleenvironmentsafetyandcomfortascopingreview
AT davyjanssens assessmentmethodsforbicycleenvironmentsafetyandcomfortascopingreview