Road lighting density and brightness linked with increased cycling rates after-dark.
Cycling has a range of benefits as is recognised by national and international policies aiming to increase cycling rates. Darkness acts as a barrier to people cycling, with fewer people cycling after-dark when seasonal and time-of-day factors are accounted for. This paper explores whether road light...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233105 |
| _version_ | 1818933698248048640 |
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| author | Jim Uttley Steve Fotios Robin Lovelace |
| author_facet | Jim Uttley Steve Fotios Robin Lovelace |
| author_sort | Jim Uttley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cycling has a range of benefits as is recognised by national and international policies aiming to increase cycling rates. Darkness acts as a barrier to people cycling, with fewer people cycling after-dark when seasonal and time-of-day factors are accounted for. This paper explores whether road lighting can reduce the negative impact of darkness on cycling rates. Changes in cycling rates between daylight and after-dark were quantified for 48 locations in Birmingham, United Kingdom, by calculating an odds ratio. These odds ratios were compared against two measures of road lighting at each location: 1) Density of road lighting lanterns; 2) Relative brightness as estimated from night-time aerial images. Locations with no road lighting showed a significantly greater reduction in cycling after-dark compared with locations that had some lighting. A nonlinear relationship was found between relative brightness at a location at night and the reduction in cyclists after-dark. Small initial increases in brightness resulted in large reductions in the difference between cyclist numbers in daylight and after-dark, but this effect reached a plateau as brightness increased. These results suggest only a minimal amount of lighting can promote cycling after-dark, making it an attractive mode of transport year-round. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T04:52:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ef56e167d7654323b1725bbb62be8369 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T04:52:31Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-ef56e167d7654323b1725bbb62be83692022-12-21T19:52:49ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01155e023310510.1371/journal.pone.0233105Road lighting density and brightness linked with increased cycling rates after-dark.Jim UttleySteve FotiosRobin LovelaceCycling has a range of benefits as is recognised by national and international policies aiming to increase cycling rates. Darkness acts as a barrier to people cycling, with fewer people cycling after-dark when seasonal and time-of-day factors are accounted for. This paper explores whether road lighting can reduce the negative impact of darkness on cycling rates. Changes in cycling rates between daylight and after-dark were quantified for 48 locations in Birmingham, United Kingdom, by calculating an odds ratio. These odds ratios were compared against two measures of road lighting at each location: 1) Density of road lighting lanterns; 2) Relative brightness as estimated from night-time aerial images. Locations with no road lighting showed a significantly greater reduction in cycling after-dark compared with locations that had some lighting. A nonlinear relationship was found between relative brightness at a location at night and the reduction in cyclists after-dark. Small initial increases in brightness resulted in large reductions in the difference between cyclist numbers in daylight and after-dark, but this effect reached a plateau as brightness increased. These results suggest only a minimal amount of lighting can promote cycling after-dark, making it an attractive mode of transport year-round.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233105 |
| spellingShingle | Jim Uttley Steve Fotios Robin Lovelace Road lighting density and brightness linked with increased cycling rates after-dark. PLoS ONE |
| title | Road lighting density and brightness linked with increased cycling rates after-dark. |
| title_full | Road lighting density and brightness linked with increased cycling rates after-dark. |
| title_fullStr | Road lighting density and brightness linked with increased cycling rates after-dark. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Road lighting density and brightness linked with increased cycling rates after-dark. |
| title_short | Road lighting density and brightness linked with increased cycling rates after-dark. |
| title_sort | road lighting density and brightness linked with increased cycling rates after dark |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233105 |
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