Cycling on rural roads - removing barriers

Purpose and goal:

Using overtaking of cyclists on roads as an example, the project develops and applies a concept to identify and quantify barriers that make cycling unsafe and proposes measures that can lead to increased safety. This includes an identification of barriers to cycling in rural areas, scaling up to the community level, as well as identification and testing of countermeasures that may lead to implementation. The overall objective of the project is to make the road network more accessible for active travel.

Expected results and effects:

The project results in a systematic, human-centered process to identify obstacles and solutions for active transport in rural areas and their impact at the community level. In the long term, the project´s results can contribute to active travellers´ experience being taken into account in the design of the transport system. This can lead to an increased share of cycling and other active transport in rural areas, which benefits the climate, public health, inclusion and the ecosystem.

Approach and implementation:

Identification of barriers and possible measures is done with the help of empirical data and in workshops with various actors with relevant subject knowledge based on a human behaviour perspective. With the help of a GIS-based tool, impact measurements are carried out to assess the potential for increased active transport and accessibility if the barriers are removed.

Some of the proposed measures will be tested in an innovative cycling simulator that enables realistic cycling with an immersive experience.