Evaluation of a New Urban Cycling Infrastructure in Caceres (Spain)

Intercity Mobility Assessment Facing the Demographic Challenge: A Survey-Based Research

The key factor in moving towards a more sustainable travel model is based on improving mobility, especially in rural areas that share territorial dynamics with urban areas and are connected by a daily flow of inhabitants. The purpose of this article is to carry out a diagnosis of the daily mobility patterns of the inhabitants of a number of rural municipalities, with the aim of promoting sustainability and mitigating the phenomenon of territorial depopulation in future local planning policies. The research methodology is based on the use of revealed preference surveys together with accessibility analysis using GIS tools, allowing for an in-depth knowledge of the mobility patterns of the municipalities in the area under analysis. In this respect, the reference parameters in terms of territorial accessibility are determined by applying the network analysis procedure to basic public services. The results reflect the existence of an unbalanced modal split with a preponderance of private vehicle use (regardless of the destination or the reason for the journey). In addition, a very weak inter-municipal connection dynamic is observed. There is a knowledge gap in the verification of the long-term suitability of sustainable measures in rural areas implemented after the development of mobility plans (in order to assess their effectiveness).

Sustainability Assessment through Urban Accessibility Indicators and GIS in a Middle-Sized World Heritage City: The Case of Cáceres, Spain

The main objective of the research consists of quantifying the degree of sustainability of the city of Cáceres in terms of the inhabitant’s accessibility to public services through the use of GIS tools and urban indicators, taking into account two areas of study: The Historic Centre (PCH) and the city as a whole. The methodology applied is based on the criteria proposed by the Spanish Government derived from the Spanish Strategy for Urban and Local Sustainability (EESUL), which suggests suitable indicators for analysing urban environments. The degree of sustainability of the study areas, applied to the field of mobility and accessibility to public services, is evaluated through numerical calculations complementing the study with accessibility maps obtained using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools. The results show that the city of Cáceres is sustainable in terms of accessibility to bus stops, organic waste containers, household waste recycling centre, schools and education, health centres, and public administration. However, bike parking coverage and lanes, clothes and oil collection, and sports centres need to be further enhanced. In conclusion, there is little disparity in the results between the PCH and the city as a whole, not influenced by the fact that one of the areas is a consolidated historic area. This research has allowed some gaps in the topic to be addressed. However, the main limitation of this methodology consists in the need to have a considerable amount of initial starting data to be able to carry out the research. Finally, the sustainability analysis using urban indicators is considered a valuable source of information for the local manager, becoming a real planning tool in medium-sized cities.

Learning to Cycle: A Cross-Cultural and Cross-Generational Comparison

Background

Learning to cycle is an important milestone for children, but the popularity of cycling and the environmental factors that promote the development and practice of this foundational movement skill vary among cultures and across time. This present study aimed to investigate if country of residence and the generation in which a person was born influence the age at which people learn to cycle.

Methods

Data were collected through an online survey between November 2019 and December 2020. For this study, a total of 9,589 responses were obtained for adults (self-report) and children (parental report) living in 10 countries (Portugal, Italy, Brazil, Finland, Spain, Belgium, United Kingdom, Mexico, Croatia, and the Netherlands). Participants were grouped according to their year of birth with 20-year periods approximately corresponding to 3 generations: 1960-79 (generation X; n = 2,214); 1980-99 (generation Y; n = 3,994); 2000-2019 (generation Z; n = 3,381).

Results

A two-way ANOVA showed a significant effect of country, F _(9,8628) = 90.17, p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.086, and generation, F _(2,8628) = 47.21, p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.122, on the age at which individuals learn to cycle. Countries with the lowest learning age were the Netherlands, Finland and Belgium and countries with the highest learning age were Brazil and Mexico. Furthermore, the age at which one learns to cycle has decreased across generations. There was also a significant country x generation interaction effect on learning age, F _(18,8628) = 2.90, p < 0.001; however, this effect was negligible ( η p 2 = 0.006).

Conclusions

These findings support the socio-ecological perspective that learning to cycle is a process affected by both proximal and distal influences, including individual, environment and time.

An Analysis of Factors Affecting the Severity of Cycling Crashes Using Binary Regression Model

The increasing use of bicycles rises the interest in investigating the safety aspects of daily commuting. In this investigation, more than 14,000 cyclists’ injuries were analyzed to determine the relationship between severity, road infrastructure characteristics, and surface conditions using binary regression. Minor and major severity categories were distinguished. A binary equation consists of 28 factors is extracted. It has been found that each factor related to roadway characteristics has its negative and positive impacts on cyclist severity such as traffic control, location type, topography, and roadway divisions. Regarding the road surface components, good, paved, and marked roads are associated with a higher probability of major injuries due to the expected greater frequencies of cyclists on roads with good conditions. In conclusion, probabilities of major injuries are higher in urban areas, higher speed limits, signalized intersections, inclined topographies, one-way roads, and during the daytime which require more attention and better considerations.

A Survey of Technologies and Recent Developments for Sustainable Smart Cycling

Among the problems resulted from the continuous urbanization process, inefficient urban mobility and high pollution levels have been complex challenges that have demanded a lot of public investments and research efforts. Recently, some alternative transportation means have been leveraged as sustainable options for such challenges, which has brought bicycles to a more relevant setting. Besides the sometimes obvious benefits of adopting bikes for transportation, technologies around the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm have been advocated as important supportive tools to boost smart cycling initiatives. Actually, new technologies can be exploited to improve the efficiency of bike paths and parking spots, while reducing accidents and enhancing the cycling experience of the users. Therefore, in this highly vibrating scenario, this article facilitates the understating of current research trends and promising developments, surveying and classing recent works. Since there is a global interest for the promotion of cleaner and more sustainable solutions in large cities, this survey can be valuable when supporting new developments in this highly relevant research area.

Impact of COVID-19 on urban transportation habits in the city of Gijón

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly changed daily habits in terms of mobility, particularly in cities. The fear of prolonged contact with other users on public transport may cause great changes in citizens’ preferences towards transport in private vehicles, motorized or not, and sharing. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in mobility habits based on an online survey in Gijón (Spain) taken at the end of summer 2020, after the first wave, and generation of the so-called “new normality”. This document presents a preview of the main results, related to the vehicles most used by Gijón’s population. The results have allowed us to observe an increase in the use of private vehicles and, consequently, decrease in use of the bus. In addition, the survey sample also demonstrated the scant insertion of PMVs, motorcycles and bicycles in citizens’ preferences. Finally, they also showed gender and age differences in urban mobility.