StreetSeen Visual Survey Tool for Determining Factors that Make a Street Attractive for Bicycling

Abstract

In one of the first visual preference surveys to use Google Street View, adult students viewed a series of paired images of city streets and were asked to choose which image they preferred for riding a bicycle. Subsequent analyses showed differences by continent in respondents’ preferences. Discrete choice models were used to demonstrate the extent to which certain segment-level factors, such as presence of trees along the street, width of the street, presence of sidewalks, and other features, were preferred. The models revealed that increasing the vehicle traffic, number of lanes, tree density of the streetscape, or number of parking lots decreased the probability of image choice. The presence of sidewalks, pedestrians, trees set back from the street, and traffic-calming devices were positively associated with respondents’ preferences. The tree-related results may relate to perceived safety; for example, dense trees close to a street may limit visibility along a roadway. The models also revealed significant differences in preferences by respondent location. This method was effective in capturing information about bicycling preferences. The survey method and the analysis techniques introduced in this study can help city planners design streets that bicyclists prefer.