Modelling cycling route choice using a map-based public participatory survey in a regional city

Riding a bicycle, particularly for transport purposes, offers substantial environmental and health benefits. Suitable bicycle infrastructure is crucial for promoting bicycle use, but remains scarce and fragmented in Australia, particularly in regional cities. In this context, understanding cyclists' route choices is a key input in informed infrastructure planning to increase cycling mode share. This study uses data from a map-based public participatory route survey to spatially capture bicycle route choice in the regional city of Greater Bendigo, Australia. The model incorporates attributes such as level of traffic stress (LTS), slope, tree canopy cover, intersection density, and route directness, along with an adjustment to account for overlap among alternative routes. The results show that cyclists strongly prefer routes with the lowest traffic stress, lower gradients, and greater network connectivity, while avoiding circuitous paths. Cyclists are also more likely to choose routes that are distinct and share fewer common segments with alternative routes. Segmentation by gender and age reveals notable behavioural differences: female cyclists are considerably more sensitive to traffic stress and slope, prioritising safety and comfort, whereas male cyclists exhibit greater tolerance to stress and prioritise route efficiency. Middle-aged cyclists (40-60 years) exhibit the strongest aversion to stressful routes, while younger cyclists (18-40 years) demonstrate greater flexibility in route choice. These findings highlight the importance of age and gender considerations in bicycle infrastructure planning as well as prioritising low-stress, well-connected, and direct cycling corridors. The findings also highlight the value of map-based public participatory surveys as a cost-effective means of collecting route data in regional settings with small populations.