Study of bicycle movements on shared footways

• Main Author: Leow, Bok Wee.
• Other Authors: Wong Yiik Diew
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Civil engineering::Transportation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/15978
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in Singapore nowadays, and more people are using it as a form of transport for short trips to train stations and town centres. Worldwide, many countries are promoting cycling as a cleaner and greener way of travelling to combat the ever worsening problem of pollution. Unfortunately, land scarce Singapore has, in the past, not given cycling high priority in developing its transport network, and most cyclists have to share the same right-of-way either with pedestrians on a footway or vehicles on a roadway. Road safety and conflict came into question for the interaction caused by cyclists, especially where traffic density is high. A study was conducted to investigate the influence of bicycle speed and size, and pedestrian flow rate on movement characteristics on a footway shared by pedestrians and bicycles, and evaluate the level of pedestrian-cyclist conflict. A footway segment along Woodlands Avenue 6 was chosen for observation on 3 different days and periods with varying pedestrian flow rates and under normal weather conditions. It was found that the pedestrian flow rate would affect cyclists’ behaviour and the level of conflict. Lighter pedestrian flow not only resulted in faster cyclists, but appeared to promote complacent cycling that could lead to more severe conflicts. Experienced cyclists were able to navigate shared footway without moderating their speed. It was also found that folding and small bicycles are relatively safer than normal-size bicycles. A simple perception survey polled tertiary students’ preference and impression of cycling in Singapore, and their level of acceptance toward sharing of pedestrian footways with cyclists. The results showed that Singapore young adults are in favour of cycling mainly due to positive health impact and recreational purpose. The poll also served as a good reminder that other factors pointed out by these respondents have to be considered when evaluating the sharing of footways, besides the issues covered in this study. The study of bicycles on shared footways is dynamic in nature, and there are many factors influencing safety for all users on a shared footway. More research should therefore be done in this area.