Right to the City for Bicycle Users. Perception of Safety in Cuenca’s Cycle Paths
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29393/UR21-3DCNC30003%20Keywords:
road safety, bicycle, sustainable mobility, risk perception, intersectionsAbstract
The dominance of the automobile has marginalized alternative modes of transport such as bicycles in urban planning. Con-sequently, cyclists face a greater risk of accidents, higher vulnerability rates in collisions, and, in general, a high sense of insecurity compared to motorized vehicles. Improving the perception of road safety for this group is key to promoting bicycle use and, thus, fostering more sustainable and efficient mobility. Therefore, the case of the bike lanes on Primero de Mayo and Solano Avenues in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, is examined to determine the factors that influence cyclists' perception of safety, using a mixed methodology based on surveys and physical-spatial observation forms. The results reveal that users perceive the cycle paths as quite safe along the lengths, thanks to the protective barrier; however, this perception worsens at intersections. At these points, the main safety factor is the lack of signage, followed by the risky behavior of other road users. Furthermore, a strong relationship was observed between bicycle use and the gender of the users. The variables that influence the perception of cyclist safety can be categorized into three groups: (1) infrastructure and environment, (2) user behavior, and (3) personal and road safety concerns.
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Anexo 1: Instrumentos utilizados, formato fichas de conteo ciclistas, encuestas, fichas de evaluación de segmentos y fichas de evaluación de intersecciones. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NMc5owpiSGUUX6R_85s3g9SgzF-B8YTK?usp=sharing
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Copyright (c) 2025 Natalia Delgado, Emilia Montalván Delgado, Carla Hermida
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