Sustainable city

Sustainable city

Feasibility of Cycling Routes and its Influence on Creating of Bicycle-Friendly City the Case study of Health Road in Yazd City

Document Type : Article extracted From phd dissertation

Authors
shahabadin hajforoush
mohammad hosin saraei
Department of Geography, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
10.22034/jsc.2022.328466.1595
Abstract
A B S T R A C T
The city of Yazd, one of the cities of Iran, has suffered the most damage from the accelerated and scattered growth, which, with cohesion and compression in the stage of emergence, its natural growth today is plagued by a pathological structure, because the city of Yazd, as an intermediate city, is more and faster than the big centres. It has progressed towards spiral growth. Therefore, the purpose of this research is the feasibility of cycling routes and their effect on creating a bicycle-friendly city in the city under study. This research is a descriptive survey in terms of its applied-developmental purpose and terms of its nature and method. The information collection in this research was done through library, document and survey methods. The statistical population of the study is the citizens of Yazd city. To estimate the sample size, the personal estimation method was used, and 120 people were considered as the sample size. In this research, targeted methods (snowball and theoretical sequence) have been used to collect information. AHP (Gaussian preference function), Prometheus and regression (ANOVA) statistical methods have been used to analyze the data. The results of the research show that the AHP test (Gaussian preference function) revealed that the indicators of the slope of the movement path and sufficient lighting and visibility on the path should be given priority, and also the indicator of the use of the combined travel method of bicycle and public transportation should be given the last priority. In the following, using the Prometheus method, the criteria and indicators of the research were prioritized, it was found that the security criterion with a final rating of 0.382 is in the first rank and the continuity criterion is in the last rank with a final rating of 0.081. Finally, using the regression test (ANOVA), it was found that there is a significant correlation between the strengthening of the bicycle path of Salamat Road and the creation of a bicycle-friendly city in Yazd. Therefore, strengthening the bicycle path of Salamat Road can lead to the creation of a bike-friendly city in Yazd
Extended Abstract
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  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.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.
Keywords
Cycling Routes
Bicycle Friendly City
Health Road
Yazd City
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Sustainable city
Volume 7, Issue 1
Spring 2024
Pages 39-56