Cyclists actually hate roads with too many bushes and are way more likely to be found on streets covered in potholes.
Analyzing thousands of trips, researchers found that cyclists prioritize directness so heavily they congregate on damaged roads if they are the shortest route. Additionally, while urban planners assume all 'greenery' is good, cyclists find dense shrubs to be a safety nuisance that makes paths feel narrow and less accessible compared to tall trees.
Desirable Bikeshare Routes: Nonlinear Impacts of Micro-Level Street Environments
SSRN · 6399399
Facilitating an attractive and safe street environment (SE) for cyclists can yield multifaceted benefits for sustainable, healthy cities. However, due to limited urban-scale trajectory data, the influence of micro-level SE (e.g., trees, shrubs, perceptions, and road cracks) on cyclists' route preferences remains less understood. Using over 4,000 Lime Dockless Bikeshare trajectories, this study constructed a Desirable Bikeshare Index (DBI) that measures differences between observed trips and the