Evaluation of a Novel Methodology to Measure Bicycle Network Connectivity

Bicycling is among the most environmentally sustainable and economically affordable travel modes available. The popularity of bicycling activities strongly depends on the availability of well-connected bicycle networks. Existing methodologies to measure network connectivity are often purely academic, complex, subjective, or locally specific. This study aims to develop and test a reliable methodology for evaluating bicycle network connectivity. The study proposed two weighted shortest-path graph algorithms: the low-stress bike network connectivity (LSBNC), and designated bicycle network connectivity (BNC) algorithms. The weights of the algorithms were the function of slope, level of traffic stress, and link length. The authors tested the algorithms on the California cities of San Francisco, Davis, Sacramento, and Hayward, along with San Francisco Bay Area counties, and found that algorithms can produce meaningful quantitative connectivity scores. The results indicate that Davis’s BNC and LSBNC scores are 0.36 and 0.40, whereas for San Francisco, these scores are 0.07 and 0.47, respectively. The remaining Bay Area county’s networks are better connected through a low-stress bike network compared with a designated bicycle network. Finally, the authors fitted the connectivity scores with the designated bike network or low-stress bike network intersection density and found that the BNC score can be calculated with goodness of fit (R²) of 0.90 and LSBNC can be calculated with R² of 0.38. The developed methodology will help planners, engineers, and policymakers with the ability to efficiently evaluate bicycle network connectivity.