The study found that bike facilities act as “calming” mechanisms on traffic, slowing cars and reducing fatalities. Between 1990 and 2010, Portland’s bicycle share increased from 1,2 % to 6 % and the road fatality rate dropped by 75 % over the same period. With added bike lanes, fatal crash rates dropped in Seattle by 60,6 %, San Francisco by 49,3 %, Denver by 40,3 %, and Chicago by 38,2 %.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
New Research: Cycling Lanes Make Roads Safer for Everyone
The largest study of road safety to date published in the Journal of Transport & Health finds that more cycling infrastructure makes cities safer for everyone, not just cyclists. Researchers proposed that the old strategy of increasing the number of cyclists should be replaced by focusing on building better infrastructure for them.
The study found that bike facilities act as “calming” mechanisms on traffic, slowing cars and reducing fatalities. Between 1990 and 2010, Portland’s bicycle share increased from 1,2 % to 6 % and the road fatality rate dropped by 75 % over the same period. With added bike lanes, fatal crash rates dropped in Seattle by 60,6 %, San Francisco by 49,3 %, Denver by 40,3 %, and Chicago by 38,2 %.
The study found that bike facilities act as “calming” mechanisms on traffic, slowing cars and reducing fatalities. Between 1990 and 2010, Portland’s bicycle share increased from 1,2 % to 6 % and the road fatality rate dropped by 75 % over the same period. With added bike lanes, fatal crash rates dropped in Seattle by 60,6 %, San Francisco by 49,3 %, Denver by 40,3 %, and Chicago by 38,2 %.
