Bicycling frequency: A study of preferences and travel behavior in Salt Lake City, Utah

Improving our understanding of cycling behaviors in urban areas is an important step in producing a more sustainable transportation system. Based on a hybrid stated and revealed preference survey (n = 132) in Salt Lake City, Utah, this paper studies the influence of attitudes and demographics on cycling frequency. A factor analysis of stated preferences shows the existence of four attitudinal factors concerning bicycling: safety, direct benefits, comfort, and timesaving. In turn, these are used in a multivariate model of cycling frequency and the decision to cycle is found to be positively correlated with the timesaving and convenience factors, and negatively correlated with preferences for travel comfort. Our results provide a broader empirical base for the complex relationships between attitudes, demographics and travel behaviors and point to some policy recommendations for increasing cycling uptake in the region.