Assessment of communitywide bikeability with bicycle level of service

A novel method assessed the quality of bicycle travel throughout a community. Most previous research on the quality of bicycle travel assessed bicycle suitability, that is, the perceived comfort and safety of a linear section of bikeway. Assessment of bikeability (as defined by authors), however, considers comfort and safety of the entire bikeway network for access to important destinations, and there is ample research concerning the related concept of accessibility. A proposed calculation for bikeability was developed on the basis of a common accessibility equation and was demonstrated through a case study of three capital investment scenarios. The analysis used a geographic information system. Engineers and planners can follow a similar procedure to the one used in the calculation development to prioritize improvement projects or to communicate the benefits of new projects.