Increasing Winter Bikeability in Toronto Through Improved Bicycle Network Design
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Abstract
Cycling, a sustainable mode of transportation, is often discredited as a four-season option as it is perceived as being dependent on weather conditions. This research presents the concept of winter cycling and its impact on, and how it is impacted by, bicycle network design. Winter bikeability criteria were synthesized from the literature and applied to four case study cities known for their bikeability and year-round maintenance of cycling infrastructure, including Montréal (Canada), Minneapolis (USA), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Oulu (Finland). Through analysis of the applied criteria, a set of best practices from each city was created based on safety, ease of use, and improved bikeability. The best practices were supported by current literature and active transportation guidelines. The best practices were then applied to Toronto (Canada) as design recommendations to improve the City’s bicycle network design. The results provide direction for planning of bicycle networks in cities with winter climates.