How safe and comfortable are (bicycle) infrastructures? Ana how can they be assessed objectively? Salzburg Research investigated various methods, bicycle safety and comfort in road traffic can be reliably and meaningfully recorded and assessed with.

Together with partners, Salzburg Research has tested various methods under real conditions, which can be used to identify problematic places in the infrastructure in the future. 24 voluntary cyclists in Vienna and Salzburg have recorded their cycling routes every day with different tools. The recording of the movement data took place with the smartphone, which detected the GPS position, acceleration, steering direction and inclination. With a helmet camera videos from the perspective of the cyclist were recorded. The time data recorded with the smartphone were analysed using specially developed algorithms. As a result, strong impacts and unevenness as well as abrupt braking and steering maneuvers were detected. The results of the data evaluation were visualized in a web-based demonstrator and analysed with regard to the bicycle-friendliness, usability and safety of the (bicycle) infrastructure. The results of such records and evaluations can refeal problematic points in the bicycle infrastructure and help with improvements in the infrastructure planning in the future.

The tested methods of data collection have proven themselves in practice. For a more meaningful evaluation of (cycling) infrastructure in cities and municipalities, a broader data collection is required. An implementation in a successor project is considered. The research work has been funded by the BMVIT and the FFG in the “Mobility of the Future” program.

• More information: Cycle tracks on trial: How safe are (bicycle) infrastructures? (German press release)
• To the project: Bikealyze (German)