ABSTRACT
Potential cyclists, beginner cyclists, utility cyclists, recreationalists and trail riders – similar categories have been defined as target populations by cycle programs worldwide. Yet few transport agencies have adopted systematic ways for dealing with their differing needs and preferences. This research presents a multiple criteria methodology for incorporating target populations’ preferences into the design of cycle routes. The methodology is applied to cycle ways in Christchurch (New Zealand) with the process covering government and policy-defined target (cycling) populations, stakeholder engagement, defining locally relevant design criteria, and their incorporation into multiple criteria analysis. Results from this analysis show how these population’s preferences can be weighted to systematically highlight bicycle-friendly scores of all junctions and segments along a route. The detailed criteria scores from this methodology can highlight sections of cycling routes needing the most design improvements if a single route is supposed to serve multiple target populations or to designate separate routes that are favourable for each target group specifically. Once facility improvements are constructed it is important to judge their success and to feed this knowledge back into the design process. The methodology we have developed allows target populations participating as stakeholders to provide this essential feedback and iteratively improve cycleway programmes over time.
