Designing Cycling Facilities for Older Adults Cyclists and Cyclists with Disabilities

Older adults and people with disabilities constitute a large and growing share of the population. Cycling can support the mobility and health of those in these groups, many of whom do not drive. It offers a low-cost, active transportation option for those with limited access to driving. The design of cycling infrastructure affects older adults and people with disabilities both as users and as pedestrians interacting with the infrastructure. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all public facilities, including cycling infrastructure, to be accessible and usable by people with disabilities. However, current literature offers limited guidance on how to achieve this from a domestic perspective, and there are no enforceable national standards like the ADA standards or Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) for cycling infrastructure. The lack of such standards can lead to increased crash risks and reduced mobility for older adults and people with disabilities. State and local jurisdictions are rapidly expanding cycling infrastructure. At the same time, technological advances such as e-bikes and adaptive bikes are making cycling more feasible for older adults and people with disabilities if the infrastructure meets their needs. Still, concerns about safety and physical barriers—such as narrow lanes, missing curb cuts, unclear intersections, inaccessible signage, and undersized bike parking—limit this transportation option. The objectives of this research are to develop a guide for better understanding of the needs of older adult cyclists and cyclists with disabilities and to identify design interventions to address those needs. The results will support future updates to national guidance, including the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, and serve as a resource for state and local jurisdictions while national standards are being developed.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5871
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $600,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 15-90

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Nasri, Arefeh

• Start Date: 20250526
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Bicycle facilities; Cyclists; Design; Persons with disabilities
• Subject Areas: Design; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01956836
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 15-90
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 29 2025 1:12PM