Cycling and Sustainability: Two Wheels Good, Four Wheels Bad

Cycling Towards Sustainability: Two Wheels Good, Four Wheels Bad

R.J. PayneLakehead University

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Cycling Towards Sustainability

Introduction

Bob, the cyclist● Vancouver-Thunder Bay; Quebec (my wife cycled there); Netherlands; Britain● A recreational cyclist● Thunder Bay's Active Transportation Committee● Lives in Ontario

The “Good” and the “Bad”● NOT moral● Benefits vs. costs

– To people– To the environment


Introduction

Three things today

● Who are cyclists?

● What Infrastructure is needed for cyclists?

● What are the challenges facing cycling's contribution to sustainability?


Who are Cyclists?

Cyclists differ from each other: how?

● By age,● By gender,● By socio-economic status, ● By motivation, ● By type of bike, ● By type of biking

– Recreational– Competitive– Utilitarian

Can cyclists be “segmented” into meaningful groups?


Not much academic research on segmenting cyclists; however,

● A Taiwanese study● 35 Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles

(VALS) questions in scalar form● N = 193 respondents● Found four (4) cycling segments:

● Fashion cyclists - 32%● Adventure cyclists - 17%● Home cyclists (boys\girls) - 20%● Practical (Utilitarian) cyclists - 31%

Applicability\Utility to us?

(source: Chu et al., 2010)

Home Boys\Girls

Adventurers Fashion Pursuers

Practical Users

Education College ↑ GraduateSchool

College ↑ High School ↓

Usage Rate Seldom Often Seldom Usually

Usage Ocassion

Roads ChallengingRoads

Bike LanesChallenging Roads

Bike Lanes

Purpose Transport Exercise Leisure Leisure

Type of Bicycle

Normal bikesFolding Bikes

Mountain bikes

Normal bikes

Normal bikes


Needs for infrastructure

i. A wide definition of “infrastructure”:

● on-road lanes and bike paths, including rail trails● Interconnected networks (local, regional, provincial, national?)● Signage and Guides (maps, books, GPS)● Parking, bike racks● Bike plans (Alternative transportation plans)● Bicycling policy● Health promotion policy● Tourism policy

If infrastructure = provision, then several levels of government are implicated here; room too for NGOs and community organizations.


ii. Three Case Studies on Infrastructure

1. The Netherlands

2. Province of Quebec

3. Victoria, BC

What lessons might we learn from these case studies?


1. The Netherlands

● With Germany, and Denmark, the Centre of the Cycling Universe?

● Long-distance routes, connected to regional and local routes, with signage

● Bike lanes and bike paths, with separation from vehicular traffic the norm

● Guides and maps● Racks and parking● Drivers are also cyclists● Tourism: cycle touring companies,

B&Bs, hotels and hostels

● Cycling in Utrecht, Netherlands

● Cycling in the Dutch Countryside

http://youtu.be/PJhGSxDb5wQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmG9fi3d1sw&feature=related


2. Province of Quebec

● Canada's most cycling-friendly province?

● Strategic direction: Bicycle Policy (2008) under the Transport Ministry

● La Route Verte● 4000+kms● Maps and signage● Cyclists on less busy roads

● Cyclist safety● Cyclists' responsibilities● Tourism: promotion of cycle

tourism, cycle touring companies, B&Bs, hotels and hostels (e.g., Lac St. Jean)


3. Victoria, BC

● Canada's most cycling-friendly urban area?

● CRD Bicycle Strategy provides strategic direction

● Lochside and Galloping Goose regional trails and feeders

● Victoria and Saanich leadership● Several other municipalities have

bike plans or initiatives in OCPs● Bike lanes● Signage and maps● Events (Bike to work week)


Lessons?

1. Separation (bikes from vehicles) is safer and attracts more cyclists, including children

2. Networks provide opportunities for different sorts of cyclists3. Signage, maps, guides - branding4. Involvement(s) of governments crucial – funding, development, policy

integration5. Different levels of government → different purposes6. Strategic direction from plans and\or policy necessary7. Integrated policies (bicycle, tourism, health) desirable8. Positive economic impact through tourism9. Follow-up monitoring: does it all work as planned?


Challenges

1. Politics● e.g., Toronto's last municipal election: cycling an issue

2. Strategy● Direction: what, for which cyclists, to what standard, for what purposes● e.g., Thunder Bay, Ontario

3. Integrated policies● Transport ministry in Ontario has a bicycle policy and is revising it● Meanwhile, lead on policy integration for cycling comes from elsewhere

4. Evaluation● Users? Maintenance? Renewal? Effectiveness?


Selected References

Capital Regional District, 2002. Bicycle Strategy, Draft Working Paper No. 3, Victoria, BC(available online at http://www.crd.bc.ca/reports/regionalplanning_/generalreports_/transportation_/cycling_/archivebackgroundinf_/3bicyclestrategy/3bicyclestrategy.pdf ).

Chu, Y., Su, K., Chen, Y., Wu, C., and Hung, P. 2010. The Craze for Cycling: Who and Why? Unpublished paper; (available online at URL: http://www.cuc.ac.jp/eng/gpac/papers/nccu/Paper_Management.pdf).

Lamont, M. 2009. Reinventing the wheel: a definitional discussion of bicycle tourism. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 14 (1), pp. 5-23.

Lumsdon, L. 2000: Transport and tourism: cycle tourism – a model for sustainable development?, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 8 (5), pp. 361-377.

http://www.cuc.ac.jp/eng/gpac/papers/nccu/Paper_Management.pdf


Quebec, 2008. Bicycle Policy, (Available online at http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/portal/page/portal/Librairie/Publications/en/amenagements_cyclables/pol_velo_en2008.pdf).

Share the Road Cycling Coalition, 2010. When Ontario Bikes, Ontario Benefits: A Green Paper for an Ontario Bicycling Policy (available online at www.sharetheroad.ca/str_green_paper_2010_03_02-pdf-r155217).

Stantec and Vandermark Consulting, 2008. Ontario Bike Plan, prepared for the Ontario Cycling Alliance (Available online at http://www.tbn.ca/forms/OntarioBikePlan-2008-web.pdf).

http://www.tbn.ca/forms/OntarioBikePlan-2008-web.pdf

Thank you!

Questions?

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Cycling and Sustainability: Two Wheels Good, Four Wheels Bad