Measuring the Impacts of Bike-to-Work Day Events and Identifying Barriers to Increased Commuter Cycling

Abstract

Despite much enthusiasm among practitioners to spur rates of bicycle commuting via promotional measures such as community rides or commuter incentive programs, there is little research regarding their impact. Using data from one such event, Bike-to-Work Day (BTWD), this paper aims to understand the following: (1) who attends BTWD; (2) the impacts of these event-based promotional strategies across different groups; and (3) lessons for increasing commuter cycling in general. The authors assess these research questions by examining motives to participate, behavior change, and influences of the event using over 1,000 surveys collected in the Denver region. Using an ordered logit model, the authors then identify significant factors for grouping cyclists’ by behavior category. The results suggest that event attendees vary widely, from those who only bicycle on BTWD to those who report year-round bicycling, while reasons for participation and impacts of participation vary across bicycling behavior groups. This research also identifies specific barriers to increased commuter cycling. While the long-term impact of such events remains uncertain, this research illustrates that BTWD has the unique ability to capture a wide range of bicyclists and provide insights into barriers impacting diverse cycling populations.