Feasibility of cycling routes and its Influence on creating of bicycle friendly city (Case study: Health Road in Yazd City)

Introduction

Today, the expansion of urbanization and the uncontrolled increase of the urban population have caused many city problems. Transportation has become one of the most important factors affecting the existence and development of cities and almost all cities are under heavy traffic pressure, which has led to urban challenges. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the capability of the Yazd Health Road cycling route, evaluate the capacity of cycling revitalization on the Yazd Health Road and determine the effect of cycling route capability of Health Road on the creation of a bicycle-friendly city in Yazd city. Thus, the question of this research is:

- Which criteria and indicators should be given priority in the implementation of Yazd Health Road cycling route?

-Can strengthening the ability of the health road cycling route lead to the creation of a bicycle friendly city in Yazd city?



Methodology

The present study is applied-developmental in terms of purpose, and also, it is a descriptive survey type in terms of nature and method. Data collection in this study was library, documentary, and survey. The statistical population of this study was urban experts, professors of urban geography and cyclists who had passed on the cycling route of Yazd city health road. Based on the personal estimation method, 120 people (20 urban experts and professors of urban geography and 100 cyclists who have passed along the health road route of Yazd city) were selected. In this research, purposeful methods (snowball and theoretical sequence) have been exerted to gather information.



Results and discussion

AHP (Gaussian preferred function), Prometheus and regression (ANOVA) were exploited to analyze the data. The results of the AHP (Gaussian preferred function) test showed that the indicators of the slope of the path and brightness and sufficient visibility on the route should be the priority and also the indicators of using the combined travel method of bicycle and public transportation should be the last priority. Then, using the Prometheus method, the criteria and indicators of the research were prioritized. It was found that the security criterion with the final ranking of 0/382 is in the first rank and the continuity criterion with the final ranking of 0/081 is in the last rank. Finally, using regression test (ANOVA), it was found that there is a significant correlation between strengthening the ability of the health road cycling route with the creation of a bicycle-friendly city in Yazd city.

In general, the results of this study with the results of McLeod et al. (2020), Nazarpour and Saedi (2020), Dolatkhah et al. (2018), and Rezaei et al. (2013) concluded that in order to pay attention to cycling in cities, urban infrastructure and appropriate rules and standards for cyclists, a clearer understanding of cyclists’ perceptions, more attention to cycling planning, the use of green marketing mixes and the construction of special cycling trails need special attention. According to the present research, there is a direct relationship because it is necessary to observe national standards, rules, and regulations in the health road cycling route for cyclists. And in this way, it is consistent with the research of Podgórniak-Krzykacza & Trippner-Hrabi (2021), Marquart et al. (2020), Zhang et al. (2019), and Saraei and Shamsi (2011), who concluded that the use of bicycles would lead to increase access to transportation, prevent congestion and inefficient public transportation, promote sustainable urban development, healthy and environmentally friendly, reduce traffic and accidents, increase comfort, safety, and security, prevent environmental pollution, and create sustainable urban transportation. Because in this study, it has been concluded that strengthening the ability of the health road cycling route can lead to the creation of a bicycle-friendly city in the city of Yazd.



Conclusion

The results of Test methods of AHP (Gaussian preferential function) and Prometheus showed that for the greater comfort of cyclists, the rules, regulations, bylaws, and propulsion of the cycling route in Iran such as length slope, width slope, open viewing distance and stopping distance, the minimum radius of curvature bicycle paths, horizontal signs, special bicycle traffic lights, etc. should be examined and used. In a general analysis, it can be stated that the observance of bicycle path standards in Iran is mandatory in designing urban paths, and the respondents' answers show the necessity of this observance. In order to investigate the correlation between strengthening the ability of the health road cycling route and creating a bicycle-friendly city of Yazd, the regression model (ANOVA) has been used; Therefore, it can be analyzed that strengthening the ability of the health road cycling route according to national rules and standards, such as the existence of shared bicycles, bicycle trash, special bicycle traffic lights, the existence of diversity in the environment, etc., can create a bicycle- friendly city in the surface Yazd city.