University of Queensland (UQ) researchers found Brisbane cyclists did not take the shortest or flattest routes, but instead planned those that had the least ‘traffic stress’.

Researchers Tmnit Halefom and Dr Dorina Pojani, from UQ’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said the findings suggested the perceived barriers to bike use in the city may have been wrong.

“We’ve always assumed factors like the hilliness of Brisbane would be one of the main deterrents to cycling,” Ms Halefom said.

“But the cyclists in our study, especially women and recreational cyclists, were choosing steeper streets or longer routes solely to avoid traffic.

“In fact, we found cyclists in Brisbane are so affected by traffic stress they’re doing almost anything they can to avoid it.”

The researchers analysed data including more than 3,300 GPS-tracked ride logs, information about road types, cycling infrastructure and topography during their research.

They developed an ‘average traffic stress’ index, or ATS, and applied it to roads across Brisbane.

“The ATS index allowed us to measure the stress level for cyclists from riding on roads with heavy and fast-moving traffic, where the potential for conflict is high,” Ms Halefom said.

“We looked at street and infrastructure quality, traffic density and intersections as well as the age and gender of cyclists and the frequency of their trips.

“It revealed some interesting trends, including that younger male cyclists, who made the longest trips at higher speeds and travelled on roads with more traffic, reported the highest ATS index.

“We found female cyclists were more likely to avoid major roads and take longer detours so they could travel along quieter paths.”

Dr Pojani said the research showed councils and communities across Brisbane should prioritise cyclists on roads, particularly along busier routes.

“Cyclists should be able to feel completely protected from higher-speed motorised traffic,” Dr Pojani said.

“Cycling lanes along major roads should be physically separated from car and parking lanes.”

Dr Pojani said it was also important to increase connections between low-traffic streets that led to important destinations like schools, offices, shopping centres and entertainment venues.

“There’s plenty of work for us to do if cycling is to contribute meaningfully to society’s goals of environmental sustainability, public health and urban liveability,” she said.

“It’s time to lower the stress on cyclists and make cycling a breeze.”

The research is published in Case Studies on Transport Policy.

How RACQ is supporting sustainability