The usefulness of GPS bicycle tracking data for evaluating the impact of infrastructure change on cycling behaviour
Kristiann C. Heesch A C and Michael Langdon B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Public Health and Social Work and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Herston, Qld 4059, Australia.
B Infrastructure Management and Delivery Division, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Floor 11, 313 Adelaide Street, Brisbane, Qld 4000, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: k.heesch@qut.edu.au
Health Promotion Journal of Australia 27(3) 222-229 https://doi.org/10.1071/HE16032
Submitted: 19 April 2016 Accepted: 18 July 2016 Published: 1 September 2016
Abstract
Issue addressed: A key strategy to increase active travel is the construction of bicycle infrastructure. Tools to evaluate this strategy are limited. This study assessed the usefulness of a smartphone GPS tracking system for evaluating the impact of this strategy on cycling behaviour.
Methods: Cycling usage data were collected from Queenslanders who used a GPS tracking app on their smartphone from 2013–2014. ‘Heat’ and volume maps of the data were reviewed, and GPS bicycle counts were compared with surveillance data and bicycle counts from automatic traffic–monitoring devices.
Results: Heat maps broadly indicated that changes in cycling occurred near infrastructure improvements. Volume maps provided changes in counts of cyclists due to these improvements although errors were noted in geographic information system (GIS) geo-coding of some GPS data. Large variations were evident in the number of cyclists using the app in different locations. These variations limited the usefulness of GPS data for assessing differences in cycling across locations.
Conclusion: Smartphone GPS data are useful in evaluating the impact of improved bicycle infrastructure in one location. Using GPS data to evaluate differential changes in cycling across multiple locations is problematic when there is insufficient traffic-monitoring devices available to triangulate GPS data with bicycle traffic count data.
So what?: The use of smartphone GPS data with other data sources is recommended for assessing how infrastructure improvements influence cycling behaviour.
Key words: built environment, evaluation, exercise, physical activity.
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