Cycle route uptake and scenario estimation (CRUSE): An approach for developing strategic cycle network planning tools
Type: Journal Article Venue: European Transport Research Review Year: 2024
Abstract
This paper describes an approach for developing strategic cycle network planning tools. Based on our experience developing and deploying the Cycle Route Uptake and Scenario Estimation (CRUSE) Tool for Ireland, we outline the underlying methods, including disaggregation of origin–destination data with the open source “odjitter” software, incorporation of additional trip purposes, routing, scenario generation, and development of an intuitive user interface that is tested and used by practitioners. Commissioned by the national infrastructure agency Transport Infrastructure Ireland, CRUSE provides estimates of current and potential future cycling levels under “snapshot” scenarios to inform investment decisions. The publicly available results at https://cruse.bike/enable planners, engineers, and other stakeholders to make more evidence-based decisions. CRUSE goes beyond previous work by: modeling networks at high spatial resolution; simulating multiple trip purposes (social, shopping, personal utility, recreational, and cycle touring), supplementing official origin–destination datasets on travel for work and education; and providing estimates of “quietness” (a proxy for cyclist comfort and route preference) at the route segment level. Three network types—“Fastest”, “Balanced”, and “Quietest”—help plan both arterial and residential cycle networks. Workshops with stakeholders were used to inform the development of the tool. Feedback shows that the tool has a wide range of uses and is already being used in practice to inform urban, inter-urban, and rural cycle network designs. The approach is flexible and open source, allowing the underlying ideas and code to be adapted, supporting more evidence-based and effective cycling policies and interventions internationally.
Citation
Robin Lovelace, Joey Talbot, Eugeni Vidal-Tortosa, Hussein Mahfouz, Elaine Brick, Peter Wright, Gary O’Toole, Dan Brennan, and Suzanne Meade (2024). Cycle route uptake and scenario estimation (CRUSE): An approach for developing strategic cycle network planning tools. European Transport Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12544-024-00668-8
BibTeX
@article{lovelace_cycle_2024,
title = {Cycle Route Uptake and Scenario Estimation ({{CRUSE}}): An Approach for Developing Strategic Cycle Network Planning Tools},
shorttitle = {Cycle Route Uptake and Scenario Estimation ({{CRUSE}})},
author = {Lovelace, Robin and Talbot, Joey and Vidal-Tortosa, Eugeni and Mahfouz, Hussein and Brick, Elaine and Wright, Peter and O’Toole, Gary and Brennan, Dan and Meade, Suzanne},
date = {2024-09-30},
journaltitle = {European Transport Research Review},
shortjournal = {European Transport Research Review},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {55},
issn = {1866-8887},
doi = {10.1186/s12544-024-00668-8},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12544-024-00668-8},
urldate = {2024-09-30},
abstract = {This paper describes an approach for developing strategic cycle network planning tools. Based on our experience developing and deploying the Cycle Route Uptake and Scenario Estimation (CRUSE) Tool for Ireland, we outline the underlying methods, including disaggregation of origin–destination data with the open source ‘odjitter’ software, incorporation of additional trip purposes, routing, scenario generation, and development of an intuitive user interface that is tested and used by practitioners. Commissioned by the national infrastructure agency Transport Infrastructure Ireland, CRUSE provides estimates of current and potential future cycling levels under ‘snapshot’ scenarios to inform investment decisions. The publicly available results at https://cruse.bike/enable planners, engineers, and other stakeholders to make more evidence-based decisions. CRUSE goes beyond previous work by: modeling networks at high spatial resolution; simulating multiple trip purposes (social, shopping, personal utility, recreational, and cycle touring), supplementing official origin–destination datasets on travel for work and education; and providing estimates of ‘quietness’ (a proxy for cyclist comfort and route preference) at the route segment level. Three network types—‘Fastest’, ‘Balanced’, and ‘Quietest’—help plan both arterial and residential cycle networks. Workshops with stakeholders were used to inform the development of the tool. Feedback shows that the tool has a wide range of uses and is already being used in practice to inform urban, inter-urban, and rural cycle network designs. The approach is flexible and open source, allowing the underlying ideas and code to be adapted, supporting more evidence-based and effective cycling policies and interventions internationally.},
keywords = {Active travel,Collaborative planning,Cycling,Open source,Road safety,Transport planning},
file = {/home/robin/Zotero/storage/PMDMD7I3/s12544-024-00668-8.html}
}Notes
This paper, co-authored by senior staff in Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the consultancy AECOM, demonstrates the application of the highly impactful Propensity to Cycle Tool (PCT) research project, which was the focus of a previous 4* REF Case Study, in an international context. The paper outlines how new methods were developed to overcome the PCT’s limitations, include the development of new spatial interaction models to enable estimation of trip demand and cycling potential for new trip types, including for leisure, shopping, and, crucially in the Irish context, for tourism. The work is now deployed in the cruse.bike web application used by practitioners across Ireland to support more effective investment in cycling in a country that has seen very high rates of investment in cycling, with major impacts on health and well-being for the people benefiting from the new infrastructure built where it’s needed as a result of this research.