Evaluating the demand for new cycle facilities

There are many studies which report attitudes to cycling and factors affecting the propensity to cycle but very few which evaluate the detailed costs and benefits of new cycle facilities. As part of a review of cycle facility provision in Bradford, West Yorkshire, a large scale survey of current and potential cyclists was conducted in 1994. A stated preference survey design was used to estimate the value placed on the different attributes of four alternative cycle routes under consideration. The results found that safety is more highly valued than time and that some new cycle schemes can be economically justified on the basis of benefits to current cyclists, even in circumstances of relatively low cycle use. The findings are important in the context of the current promotion of cycle facilities and highlights the need for further research and monitoring.