Modelling individual perception of barriers to bike use

Abstract

People face different barriers when choosing to commute by bike. The predominance of these barriers in users’ perception could explain the low cyclability rates present in many cities. An investigation of cyclists’ perceptions is developed using the data set obtained through a survey made to individuals from Quito, Ecuador. This study is aimed to evaluate the perception of a group of individuals about barriers to bike use, in particular, assesses how perception varies according to the available information and the different profiles. Using ordered probit models, the study compares the overall evaluation of bike acceptance before and after making individuals reflect on the importance of certain variables (e. g. lack of bike infrastructure, city temperatures, etc.). The main results show that to improve bike use acceptance, enhancing multimodality or providing facilities like electric bikes must be considered. The results also demonstrated a high heterogeneity of individuals’ perceptions caused by their socio-demographic characteristics and the environmental context.