Most of the problems in twenty first century cities are caused by transportation planning that prioritizes the use of the automobile. The use of non-motorized transportation is important in the search for a more sustainable urban transportation system, in which the automobile culture is replaced by a balance among several transportation modes. Among the many ways to encourage bicycle transportation, studies suggest the construction or improvement of infrastructure for cycling. The objective of this paper is to propose a method for establishing cycling routes in urban areas, which can encourage bicycle transportation in shared roads. The definition of the routes comprises two aspects: the estimation of the demand for bicycle trips and the evaluation of the bicycle Level-of-Service. The proposed methodology was applied in a case study of two utilitarian bicycle trips generators in the city of São Carlos, SP, Brazil. In general, the case study proved the applicability of the method, which, with a few adjustments, could be adopted by planners to improve bicycle transportation planning in urban areas. It also helped to identify a lack of available studies about bicycle LOS performance measures in the country. Furthermore, it intends to contribute to research development and dissemination of bicycle transportation in Brazil, where not much research has been done in the subject of cycling.
Abstract