About the Site Email Newsletter Links to Cycling Organisations
Bicycle and Public Transport Bicycle Network Planning Bicycle Strategies & Plans Bike Share Programs Cycling Data End of Trip Facilities Facility Design / Engineering Land Use Planning Mobility Management
Cycling Skills: Information for Riders Cycling Skills: Programs and Resources Organisations Professional Development Research
Awards and Recognition Behaviour Change Programs Economic Benefits of Cycling Environmental Benefits of Cycling Health Benefits of Cycling Maps Marketing Ride to School Ride to Shops Ride to Work Social Benefits of Cycling Women in Cycling
Bicycle Regulations Organisations Overviews Solutions Statistics & Common Crashes
Cycle Tourism: Promotion Cycle Tourism: Strategies Organisations Recreation: Publications and Resources Recreation: Strategies Recreation: Trail and Facility Design Recreation: Trails and Facilities Research
International Local Government National Government State & Territory Government
Cycling Innovations Encouragement & Promotion Enforcement & Road Safety Engineering & Planning Funding

Search

Font Decrease Font Normal Font Increase Print

Service Levels of Cycleways (EU)

This report for the Swedish Transport Administration was released in June 2011. This is the final report of the research project “Service levels of cycleways” wich aims to find the characteristics of an attractive cycleway, and specifying how to maintain cycleways in order to promote cycling.

The report is based on literature reviews and summarizes also the studies conducted in the project including interviews with employees in Swedish municipalities, focus group studies with cyclists, as well as test and evaluation of a method for measuring the surface evenness of cycle paths.

The maintenance service level of cycleways is important in order to raise the status of the bicycle as a mode of transport. In Sweden more than 70% of bicycle accidents are single vehicle accidents and 40% of those are maintenance related. Skid control is the most important maintenance measure for the safety of cyclists, while snow clearance is crucial for travel time and accessibility. Surface unevenness as well as grit, broken glass, etc. also affect the safety of cyclists, but are more crucial for their comfort and travel time.

Requirements and recommendations are based on experience and common knowledge rather than on the effects for cyclists, and it is usually the requirements for roadways as well as budget restraints, that set the limits. In consequence, there is a difference in the maintenance service level perceived by cyclist compared to the one declared by the road administrators.

It is possible to improve the maintenance service level with limited means, through good organization, by choosing the appropriate service level considering the use of a cycleway, and by taking measures at the right time. This demands a good knowledge about bicycle traffic flows, accidents, the location of problematic cycleway segments, etc. To avoid future problems, maintenance and operation have to be considered in an early stage in planning and construction. In addition, there is a great potential towards more efficient maintenance methods and equipment better adapted for cycleways.

The report is in Swedish but has an English Summary.

Service levels of cycleways – state-of-the-art report focusing on maintenance and operation | PDF 2.2MG