Modeling Bicyclist Behavioral Patterns and Multi-Faceted Decision-Making Strategies in Urban Settings with Limited Infrastructure: Guidance for Future Development

While bicycling is an essential mode of urban transportation, most parts of U.S. cities lack adequate infrastructure to keep bicyclists safe and allow them to travel efficiently. This research aims to model how psychological, street, and infrastructure characteristics influence bicyclist behavior in urban settings with inadequate bicycling infrastructure, such as in the Greater Houston area (Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land), Texas. This research will integrate quantitative and qualitative methods to develop a model that supports adaptive decision-making for bicycling in urban areas with limited infrastructure. The project will recruit 40 adult bicyclists to participate in surveys and bicycle simulator testing. A realistic urban network will be simulated in the bicycle simulator to replicate bicycling conditions under varying (infrastructure quality, traffic volume, visibility, etc.), psychological (risk perception, motivation, and attitudes, etc.), and operational (route choice, adaptation, and interaction with other modes of transportation, etc.) scenarios. Various techniques, including both qualitative and quantitative methods, can be used to identify key drivers of route choice and to develop optimal strategies for efficiency and safety. The findings will inform action-oriented urban planning and policy recommendations for enhancing bicycle infrastructure and safety. The outcomes have the potential to offer a replicable methodology for implementation in similarly challenged cities, providing active urban transportation and improved public health.

• Record URL:
  • https://ncst.ucdavis.edu/project/modeling-bicyclist-behavioral-patterns-and-multi-faceted-decision-making-strategies-urban

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $90,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  DOT 69A3552348319

  DOT 69A3552344814

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  Texas Southern University, Houston

  3100 Cleburne Street
  Houston, TX  United States  77004
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of California, Davis

  1 Shields Ave
  Davis, California  United States  95616

  Texas Southern University, Houston

  3100 Cleburne Street
  Houston, TX  United States  77004
• Project Managers:

  Cliff, Sydney

• Performing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  Texas Southern University, Houston

  3100 Cleburne Street
  Houston, TX  United States  77004
• Principal Investigators:

  Kalambay, Panick

  Qiao, Fengxiang

• Start Date: 20260401
• Expected Completion Date: 20270331
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Bicycling; Cyclists; Decision making; Infrastructure; Route choice; Simulation; Urban areas
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01985469
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Sustainable Transportation
• Contract Numbers: DOT 69A3552348319, DOT 69A3552344814
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Apr 12 2026 11:34PM