The study covers Metro Vancouver
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2077929/
URBAN LIFE
Bike-friendliness of Vancouver neighbourhoods mapped by UBC
VIVIAN LUK
VANCOUVER— Globe and Mail Update
Published Tuesday, Jun. 28, 2011 8:00AM EDT
Last updated Tuesday, Jun. 28, 2011 1:12PM EDT
In a city where bicycle paths are separated from traffic, racks are accessible, cycling routes are connected, and the way from home to work is smooth and flat, more people may actually want to ride their bikes.
And if more people bike rather than drive, they will be much healthier, and the city much greener.
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PHOTOS
What "bikeability" looks like in metro Vancouver
That is the argument that a team of University of British Columbia researchers are presenting with the Bikeability Index, an innovative mapping tool that scores Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods on how accommodating they are to cyclists. According to the study, the way communities are designed directly influences people’s level of physical activity.
“If you make cycling and walking the easier choice, then people will be more likely to choose it because it’s faster to get [somewhere] than sitting in traffic,” said lead researcher Meghan Winters. “Then people will be less likely to choose their cars, they’ll be more likely to engage in physical activity, and that will reduce congestion in the city.”
The project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, surveyed 2,100 people about factors that influence their cycling behaviour, Ms. Winters said. Most answered they are concerned about biking next to cars, biking up and down hills, the availability of racks to lock up their bikes, and the connectivity of bike-friendly streets.
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The maps can be viewed at
www.cher.ubc/ca/cyclingincities/tools.html. Cyclists can also search for routes based on preferred distances, air pollution levels and elevation gain. Future renderings will also allow users to click and zoom on the maps.