Cyclists travel experience: evaluating different approaches of data recording and exploring the potential for urban planning

Kurzfassung

The promotion of cycling can contribute to create livable and healthy cities. Even though the share of cyclists is growing, it remains low in many cities. Current studies show that there are reasons people refuse to cycle, caused by negative experiences while cycling. The travel experience while cycling is influences by various aspects, e.g., built environment, natural environment or situational context, which influences a pleasant or stressful trip. The influence of these aspects can be captured by physiological measurements, sensor measurements or data on subjective perceptions. Researching these factors by using sensors is a young and fast developing research field. We are experiencing a variety of conceptual approaches and innovations, such as wearable sensors. To date capabilities and limitations of these methods are unclear. This study addresses this research gap by (a) exploring, analyzing and testing different methods to gather travel experience while cycling using a pilot study and (b) investigating if and how decision-makers make use of travel experience data. In the pilot-study 6 probands cycle 30-minutes, filmed their routes and wore sensors measuring heart rate, skin conductivity and air pollution. Usability of sensors and perception were investigated by a post-questionnaire. Expert interviews with decisionmakers are planned (summer 2024). The study organizes the state of the art in this rather new field of research. We describe particularities of the methods regarding usability for probands and planners. In addition, we present results from the pilot studies: wearing devices negatively impacted cycling experiences and resulted in stress reactions. Using a video camera to detect stress situation was useful, as are post-questionnaires. Exploiting new data sources and comparing subjective and objective data to record and georeference the experiences of cyclists is crucial when aiming to progress with bicycle research. Perception and emotions of bike riders are crucial factors for strengthening bicycle planning