Cycling to Work in Phoenix: Route Choice, Travel Behavior, and Commuter Characteristics

Abstract

Through a survey of expert cyclists, the relationship between the actual routes cyclists traveled and existing street conditions was documented, and bicycle commuters of the Phoenix metropolitan area were profiled. Data were collected on individual commuting routes between home and work. Additional data collected include age and gender characteristics. Frequency analysis in a geographic information system compared the number of common street segments among actual and alternative routes to determine cyclists’ use of existing street facilities. Findings are reported for actual routes compared with shortest distance, shortest time, and safest route alternatives on street facilities between the same origin and destination. Spatial analysis identified local gaps in arterial street bicycle facilities at municipal boundaries. These findings include evidence that cyclists adjust their routes to use current street bicycle facilities, and suggest that policy makers should concentrate on linking bicycle facilities across jurisdictions.