As a means of transportation and as a form of physical activity, bicycling generates benefits to the bicyclist as well as to the community as a whole. Bicycling now accounts for less than 1 percent of all trips for all purposes in the U.S., but evidence from other western countries suggests that under the right conditions, bicycling levels can be significantly higher. The experiences of Davis, Boulder, and Eugene suggest that it is possible to create conditions conducive to higher levels of bicycling in the U.S. However, the extent to which bicycling policy has contributed to bicycling levels in these communities has not been rigorously assessed. The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of the determinants of bicycle ownership as a basis for developing measures and incentives to promote the use of bicycles. A cross-sectional study of six cities was designed to test the importance of bicycle infrastructure and other physical environment factors relative to individual factors and social environment factors. Analysis of data from an on-line survey using a nested dichotomous logistic regression approach shows strong effects of individual attitudes and social environment factors but more limited impacts of bicycle infrastructure on both bicycle ownership and use.
Abstract