Investigating Cycling Equity: Perceptions, Initiatives, and Barriers

Abstract

Among transportation modes, active transportation, and in particular cycling, has become a priority for many countries to reduce single-occupant car usage. Despite some success, there exist many barriers to increasing bicycle usage, both environmental and societal, such as inequity in cycling. In cycling equity analysis, studies have primarily focussed on the fair distribution of cycling infrastructure among neighbourhoods, and the solution has necessarily been the provision of more or better infrastructure to disadvantaged population groups. However, it is important to ensure that equity is considered in the provision of all cycling initiatives. Consequently, the objectives of the research are to better understand how to achieve an equitable cycling environment, considering aspects of cycling such as population needs, usage behaviour, and perceptions of cycling infrastructure, and to identify cycling initiatives other than bicycle infrastructure, assess their effectiveness, and highlight barriers to implementing cycling equity policies in practice. The thesis first explores a number of sociodemographic characteristics to determine their influence on bicycle usage in Auckland, New Zealand. The results indicate that sociocultural factors are the most important factors influencing bicycle usage. Then, the impact of cycling infrastructure provision on individual perceptions of cycling infrastructure in relation to sociodemographic characteristics is explored. The results show that cycling infrastructure provision perception is more affected by factors such as ethnicity, education, and bicycle user type than objective measures of bicycle infrastructure. Following the capabilities approach of justice, findings suggest that the equitable provision of cycling infrastructure may not lead to an equitable cycling environment. To achieve this, interpersonal and intrapersonal indicators such as ethnicity, sociocultural, and community-related factors need to also be considered in order to fairly encourage and empower all population groups to cycle. The thesis proceeds to evaluate equity in cycling initiatives, and their operational challenges, by reviewing a wide range of cycling initiatives implemented in Auckland. The various target groups or resulting beneficiaries were discussed, along with potential additional initiatives, barriers to implementing cycling equity initiatives in practice, and possible solutions to address such barriers. Results suggest that some of the current initiatives implemented could be more equitably distributed geographically. In addition there are inequities in terms of social distribution. For example, there are limited initiatives focusing on the safety of female cyclists in Auckland, and no initiatives specifically aimed at Māori and Pacific people, population groups that are both considered disadvantaged with respect to cycling in Auckland. Finally, the effectiveness of cycling initiatives in encouraging bicycle usage and their relationship with sociodemographic characteristics is explored. The results indicate that people with different backgrounds have different perceptions about the level of effectiveness of the various cycling initiatives. Findings indicate that the current cycling initiatives in Auckland do not focus sufficiently on the elderly and women, two groups with lower bicycle usage rates, as well as non-cyclists. This indicates that, in the interests of equity, cycling initiatives should be equipped with more targeted plans for these groups. The findings of this thesis can be used to provide better insights for policymakers and local governments for improving cycling policies, initiatives, and investment in order to help address inequity in cycling.