国际学术期刊
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国际学术期刊
Exploring changes to cycle infrastructure to improve the experience of cycling for families
发布时间:2013-11-2816:8:23来源:作者:William Clayton, Charles Musselwhite点击量:1764   

William Claytona,
Charles Musselwhiteb, 1,
a Centre for Transport and Society, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
b Centre for Innovative Ageing, School of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK


Highlights

•We examine if enhancements to cycle infrastructure can encourage families to cycle.
•64 Participants: family interviews, self-documented family cycle rides, focus groups.
•Key barriers to cycling related to safety, confidence, and knowledge.
•For regular cyclists enhancements create novelty and improve kinaesthetic elements.
•For infrequent cyclists enhancements improve confidence and legitimise space.


Keywords
Cycling; Infrastructure; Motivation; Families; Behaviour change


Abstract
Positive changes to the immediate cycling environment can improve the cycling experience through increasing levels of safety, but little is known about how the intrinsic benefits of cycling might be enhanced beyond this. This paper presents research which has studied the potential benefits of changing the infrastructure within a cycle network – here the National Cycle Network (NCN) in the United Kingdom (UK) – to enhance the intrinsic rewards of cycling. The rationale in this approach is that this could be a motivating factor in encouraging greater use of the cycle network, and consequently help in promoting cycling and active travel more generally amongst family groups. The project involved in-depth research with 64 participants, which included family interviews, self-documented family cycle rides, and school focus groups. The findings suggest that improvements to the cycling environment can help maintain ongoing motivation for experienced cycling families by enhancing novel aspects of a routine journey, creating enjoyable activities and facilitating other incidental experiences along the course of a route, and improving the kinaesthetic experience of cycling. For those less experienced, this can create a legitimacy of space and mode that could help dispel real or imagined safety fears associated with cycling. Despite the potential of these benefits to assist in changing travel behaviour, it is acknowledged that they are not alone a solution to the barriers to greater cycling uptake, and continued development of off-road and specialist cycle networks must continue.


Article Outline
1. Introduction
2. Methodology
2.1. Geographical context
2.2. Participants
2.3. Procedure
2.4. Data analysis
2.5. Ethical process

3. Findings
3.1. Positive elements of cycling
3.1.1. Kinaesthetic and sensory experiences of riding
3.1.2. The role of novelty in cycling
3.1.3. The role of destinations in the journey

3.2. Barriers to family cycling
3.2.1. Confidence – safety and skills
3.2.2. Confidence – knowledge

3.3. Exploring how games and leisure activities might encourage cycling
3.3.1. Enhancing the kinaesthetic experience
3.3.2. Improving skills in cycling: bicycle challenges (skills and confidence)
3.3.3. Confidence: legitimising and signposting the experience


4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
References


Tables

Table 1. Background details of the participants at different stages of the research.