IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i15p8424-d603289.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Structural Equation Approach to Analyze Cyclists Risk Perception and Their Behavior Riding on Two-Lane Rural Roads in Spain

Author

Listed:
  • Griselda López

    (Highway Engineering Research Group, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Rosa Arroyo

    (Transport Department, School of Civil Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Alfredo García

    (Highway Engineering Research Group, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

Abstract

The use of bicycles on two-lane rural roads in Spain has been increasing in recent years. However, these roads have no bicycle infrastructure, being cyclists forced to share the road and interact with motorized vehicles. In rural environments, the interaction between road users from the cyclist’s point of view is still not well understood. To analyze it, the relationships between risk perceptions and behavioral factors of rural cyclists according to their demographic characteristics, profile, and self-reported knowledge on traffic rules were obtained. An online survey was used, which collected the opinion of 523 cyclists. Data were analyzed by using structural equation models. The Thurstonian Item Response Theory approach was adopted to include raking responses. Different perceptions among demographic groups were found. Younger cyclists present the lowest risk perception while having a higher risk behavior. The knowledge about traffic rules was correlated with safety behavior, showing the importance of this factor. These results are in line with urban cycling. However important differences under risk elements for rural cyclists, mainly associated with potential hazards on the shoulder, have been drawn. These findings may help policy makers to integrate cycling with vehicular traffic on two-lane rural roads in a safe way.

Suggested Citation

  • Griselda López & Rosa Arroyo & Alfredo García, 2021. "Structural Equation Approach to Analyze Cyclists Risk Perception and Their Behavior Riding on Two-Lane Rural Roads in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8424-:d:603289
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/15/8424/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/15/8424/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Golob, Thomas F., 2003. "Structural equation modeling for travel behavior research," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 1-25, January.
    2. Tilahun, Nebiyou Y. & Levinson, David M. & Krizek, Kevin J., 2007. "Trails, lanes, or traffic: Valuing bicycle facilities with an adaptive stated preference survey," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 287-301, May.
    3. Wardman, Mark & Tight, Miles & Page, Matthew, 2007. "Factors influencing the propensity to cycle to work," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 339-350, May.
    4. Saaty, Thomas L., 1979. "Applications of analytical hierarchies," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 1-20.
    5. Damant-Sirois, Gabriel & El-Geneidy, Ahmed M., 2015. "Who cycles more? Determining cycling frequency through a segmentation approach in Montreal, Canada," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 113-125.
    6. Nebiyou Tilahun & Kevin Krizek & David Levinson, 2007. "Trails, Lanes, or Traffic: Value of Different Bicycle Facilities Using Adaptive Stated-Preference Survey," Working Papers 200701, University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Margarita Martínez-Díaz & Rosa Arroyo, 2023. "Is Cycling Safe? Does It Look like It? Insights from Helsinki and Barcelona," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-24, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Márquez, Luis & Soto, Jose J., 2021. "Integrating perceptions of safety and bicycle theft risk in the analysis of cycling infrastructure preferences," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 285-301.
    2. Downward, Paul & Rasciute, Simona, 2015. "Assessing the impact of the National Cycle Network and physical activity lifestyle on cycling behaviour in England," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 425-437.
    3. Pucher, John & Buehler, Ralph & Seinen, Mark, 2011. "Bicycling renaissance in North America? An update and re-appraisal of cycling trends and policies," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(6), pages 451-475, July.
    4. McArthur, David Philip & Hong, Jinhyun, 2019. "Visualising where commuting cyclists travel using crowdsourced data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 233-241.
    5. Macdonald, Elizabeth & Sanders, Rebecca & Supawanich, Paul, 2008. "The Effects of Transportation Corridors' Roadside Design Features on User Behavior and Safety, and Their Contributions to Health, Environmental Quality, and Community Economic Vitality: a Literature R," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt12047015, University of California Transportation Center.
    6. Kamargianni, Maria, 2015. "Investigating next generation's cycling ridership to promote sustainable mobility in different types of cities," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 45-55.
    7. Ruiz, Tomás & Bernabé, José C., 2014. "Measuring factors influencing valuation of nonmotorized improvement measures," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 195-211.
    8. Alistair Sheldrick & James Evans & Gabriele Schliwa, 2017. "Policy learning and sustainable urban transitions: Mobilising Berlin’s cycling renaissance," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(12), pages 2739-2762, September.
    9. Björklund, Gunilla & Isacsson, Gunnar, 2013. "Forecasting the impact of infrastructure on Swedish commuters’ cycling behaviour," Working papers in Transport Economics 2013:36, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
    10. Nkurunziza, Alphonse & Zuidgeest, Mark & Brussel, Mark & Van Maarseveen, Martin, 2012. "Examining the potential for modal change: Motivators and barriers for bicycle commuting in Dar-es-Salaam," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 249-259.
    11. José Castillo-Manzano & Antonio Sánchez-Braza, 2013. "Managing a smart bicycle system when demand outstrips supply: the case of the university community in Seville," Transportation, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 459-477, February.
    12. Tatiana Cantillo & Andrés Vargas & Víctor Cantillo & José Ramos, 2020. "What determines university student’s willingness to pay for bikeways?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(5), pages 2267-2286, October.
    13. Agarwal, Amit & Ziemke, Dominik & Nagel, Kai, 2020. "Bicycle superhighway: An environmentally sustainable policy for urban transport," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 519-540.
    14. Gamble, Julie & Snizek, Bernhard & Nielsen, Thomas Sick, 2017. "From people to cycling indicators: Documenting and understanding the urban context of cyclists' experiences in Quito, Ecuador," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 167-177.
    15. Ehrgott, Matthias & Wang, Judith Y.T. & Raith, Andrea & van Houtte, Chris, 2012. "A bi-objective cyclist route choice model," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 652-663.
    16. Umer Mansoor & Mohammad Tamim Kashifi & Fazal Rehman Safi & Syed Masiur Rahman, 2022. "A review of factors and benefits of non-motorized transport: a way forward for developing countries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 1560-1582, February.
    17. Björklund, Gunilla & Mortazavi , Reza, 2013. "Influences of infrastructure and attitudes to health on value of travel time savings in bicycle journeys," Working papers in Transport Economics 2013:35, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
    18. Hallberg, Martin & Rasmussen, Thomas Kjær & Rich, Jeppe, 2021. "Modelling the impact of cycle superhighways and electric bicycles," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 397-418.
    19. Tomás Rossetti & Verónica Saud & Ricardo Hurtubia, 2019. "I want to ride it where I like: measuring design preferences in cycling infrastructure," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 697-718, June.
    20. Damant-Sirois, Gabriel & El-Geneidy, Ahmed M., 2015. "Who cycles more? Determining cycling frequency through a segmentation approach in Montreal, Canada," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 113-125.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8424-:d:603289. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.