The influence of cycle lanes on road users’ perception of road space

ABSTRACT

Despite the many benefits of cycle lanes for active travel, their implementation remains a persistent problem. Road users who believe that building cycle lanes will take away their road space may object because they believe there is not enough space to do so. This study aims to address the visual perception of road space by exploring the relationship of the road users’ country of residence with how they perceive road space. Through an online survey distributed in three countries (n = 1591) with different levels of implemented cycle lanes this study demonstrates that the road space context significantly influences the visual perception of road space. Residents in the Netherlands, where cycle lanes are a common element of the road space, demonstrate 10% more recognition of having space to implement cycle lanes than the respondents in the UK and Australia, where cycle lanes are not as common. The implications of this research into the recognition by the public of having space (or not) to implement cycle lanes demonstrate the importance of context and provide evidence to policymakers to address a persistent problem.

KEYWORDS:

• Cycle lanes
• visual perception
• road space
• road user
• active travel

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the technical assistance of Kathrin Schemann of the Sydney Informatics Hub, a Core Research Facility of the University of Sydney. We wish to thank the University of Sydney Business School via the “Engaged Research Accelerator” and the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS) for the financial and academic support in the development of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.