Comfort + Convenience = More Women Biking LAB women on a ro… · Comfort + Convenience = More...
Transcript of Comfort + Convenience = More Women Biking LAB women on a ro… · Comfort + Convenience = More...
Comfort + Convenience = More Women Biking
• Jennifer Dill, Portland State University o Quick overview of the gender gap in cycling o Why is there a gap?
Using data from Portland and elsewhere, explain how comfort and convenience are important to women and girls and how new facilities might change that
Gender gap in the US: Bicycling vs. Walking
0.8%
9.5% 16.7%
67.8%
2.4%
15.7% 15.8%
68.3%
Females
Males
on the travel day
in the past week
on the travel day
in the past week
Made a walk trip… Made a bike trip…
Source: 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)
Women who do ride, bicycle for recreation, not commuting
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Women Men
18-25 26-45 46-65 66+ 18-25 26-45 46-65 66+
Work
Shopping
Social/Rec
Women Men
Source: 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)
Gender Gap: It’s not everywhere
25% 27%
30%
49%
55% 56%
USA UK Canada Germany Denmark Netherlands
Perc
ent
of b
ike
trip
s by
wom
en
Source: Pucher and Buehler (eds.) City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012
Copenhagen
Amsterdam
Berlin Vancouver
Montreal Toronto Portland
Minneapolis Chicago San Francisco
Melbourne
Sydney
Tokyo
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Perc
ent
of b
icyc
lists
who
are
fem
ale
Percent of trips by bicycle
Washington
City Level: Correlation between cycling & share of bicyclists who are women
Source: Garard, Handy, and Dill, “Women and Cycling,” in Pucher and Buehler (eds.), City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012
Why is there a gender gap?
… in the U.S.
Several surveys indicate that men have more positive attitudes about cycling than women.
… but why? I will try to answer using… Random phone survey of ~900 adults in the Portland, OR region
Family Activity Study with ~300 families in Portland Intercept surveys of cyclists on new facilities in DC & San Francisco
Comfort: Concerns about safety
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
feel comfortable riding after
dark*
know how to ride a bike safely in traffic*
concerned about being
hit by a motor
vehicle*
concerned about falling off by bike*
feel comfortable riding when it is raining
concerned about being
stranded
concerned about being bitten by a
dog
concerned about having my bicycle
stolen
concerned about being
hit by another bicyclist
% S
tron
gly
Agr
eein
g
Women
Men
* sig. difference p<0.05
Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)
Convenience
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
I know where safe bike routes are in my
neighborhood
Biking can sometimes be easier for me than driving
I don't have time to bike places instead
of driving
Many of the places I need to get to
regularly are within biking distance of
home
For me to ride a bike for daily travel from home would be easy
% s
tron
gly
agre
eing
Women Men
* sig. difference p<0.05
Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)
Comfort and Social Support
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Biking for transptn requires different
clothes than normal
I don't like wearing a helmet
People impt to me would
support me biking more
Many of my co-workers bike to
work
Many of my friends bike to
get places
People I live with bike
to…errands, shop…
People impt to me think I should bike
more
% s
tron
gly
agre
eing
Women Men
* sig. difference p<0.05
Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)
Differences start in childhood Barriers to bicycling among 11-16 year olds
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Cold weather
Rain No one to bike with
It takes too long
I am afraid of getting
hurt
I don’t want to
get sweaty
Not fun, don’t feel
like it
I don’t like
wearing my
helmet
I can’t ride my
bike well
My parents don’t
want me to bike
I don’t want
other kids to see me
biking
Mea
n Sc
ore,
1-5
Boys (11-16)
Girls (11-16)
* sig. difference p<0.05
Source: Family Activity Study, Portland 2012-13 (Dill)
1=This does not at all keep me from biking 5=This really keeps me from biking
Possible solutions: Infrastructure
• Women are more concerned about safety, particularly from traffic
Bicycle Boulevards (aka Neighborhood Greenways)
Bike path
Cycle track (aka separated lane)
Bike lane
Level of Comfort on Facilities
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
A path or trail separate from the
street
A quiet, residential street
with traffic speeds of 20-25 miles per hour
and traffic calming (bicycle
boulevard)
A quiet, residential street
with traffic speeds of 20-25 miles per hour
Cycle track on a major 4-lane
urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour
Cycle track on a major 4-lane street with a
center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per
hour
Bike lane on a two-lane
neighborhood commercial
shopping street, on-street parking,
25-30 mph
Bike lane on a major 4-lane
urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour
Bike lane on a major 4-lane street with a
center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per
hour
A two-lane neighborhood commercial
shopping street, on-street parking,
25-30 mph, no bike lane
Major 4-lane urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour,
no bike lane
Major 4-lane street with a
center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per
hour, no bike lane
Respondents' Level of Comfort Bicycling on Different Facility Types Level of Comfort (1-4 scale,, 4=Very Comfortable)
Female
Male Path Bike
Boulevard* Quiet res.
street
Cycletracks
Bike Lanes
No bike facilities
Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)
Level of Comfort on Facilities
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
A path or trail separate from the
street
A quiet, residential street
with traffic speeds of 20-25 miles per hour
and traffic calming (bicycle
boulevard)
A quiet, residential street
with traffic speeds of 20-25 miles per hour
Cycle track on a major 4-lane
urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour
Cycle track on a major 4-lane street with a
center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per
hour
Bike lane on a two-lane
neighborhood commercial
shopping street, on-street parking,
25-30 mph
Bike lane on a major 4-lane
urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour
Bike lane on a major 4-lane street with a
center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per
hour
A two-lane neighborhood commercial
shopping street, on-street parking,
25-30 mph, no bike lane
Major 4-lane urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour,
no bike lane
Major 4-lane street with a
center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per
hour, no bike lane
Respondents' Level of Comfort Bicycling on Different Facility Types Level of Comfort (1-4 scale,, 4=Very Comfortable)
Female
Male
Path Bike Boulevard*
Quiet res. street
Cycletracks
Bike Lanes
No bike facilities
Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)
All significantly different except
bicycle boulevard
Comfort on facilities among 11-16 year olds
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
On a street with heavy traffic and
no bike lane*
On a street with heavy traffic with a bike lane*
On a street with little traffic and
no bike lane*
On a street with little
traffic with a bike lane*
On a path or trail
separate from the
street
On a street with heavy traffic and
no bike lane
On a street with heavy traffic with a bike lane
On a street with little traffic and
no bike lane
On a street with little
traffic with a bike lane
On a path or trail
separate from the
street
Mea
n Co
mfo
rt L
evel
,
1=V
ery
unco
mfo
rtab
le,
4=V
ery
com
fort
able
Boys
Girls
Alone With Parents
* sig. difference p<0.05
Source: Family Activity Study, Portland 2012-13 (Dill)
Could cycle tracks increase women’s cycling? • 6-city Green Lane evaluation underway • Intercept surveys of bicyclists on cycle tracks • Because of the [street] cycle track...how often I ride a
bicycle overall has increased o Washington DC L Street
Women: 39% Men: 26% o San Francisco Oak Street (preliminary numbers)
Women: 29% Men: 17% o San Francisco Fell Street (preliminary numbers)
Women: 29% Men: 20%