Comportamento de viagem de ciclistas em uma cidade de porte médio : implicações para definição de redes cicloviárias

Abstract

This research is based on the premise that the improvement of bicycle transport conditions could help improve the quality of life in cities, due to the wide range of social, environmental, economic and health benefits associated with this mode. The purpose of the cycling networks addressed in this study is to establish connections between potential points of origin and destination of cyclists, in order to offer the most appropriate routes between the points of interest. For this, the identification and study in the Travel Generating Poles (PGVs) are convenient, since Origin-Destination (O / D) surveys, capable of providing information about travel demands, are rare in the context of Brazilian cities. The prerogative of this study is to identify the implications of opinions and travel behavior of cyclists in the planning of cycling networks in medium-sized cities. Based on the bibliographic review, the main factors that influence the choice of routes by cyclists were identified, as well as some models of bicycle service level evaluation (NSB), in order to provide a solid theoretical discussion, allowing a better understanding of the studied reality. Subsequently, surveys have been carried out with cyclists at Bicycle Travel Generating Poles (application of a questionnaire and registration of routes traveled by cyclists using GPS devices), followed by the diagnosis of the Level of Service for Bicycle of the routes traveled by cyclists and the shortest ways between origins and destinations of cyclists. The implications of cyclists' opinions and travel behavior for cycling planning lie in directing the proposition to direct cycling networks, that minimize the deviation of connections between origins and destinations (PGVs), as well as provide basic infrastructures such as adequate lighting and well-maintained pavement.