Monday, December 11, 2017
Gender Equity and the I-66 Trail Design
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FABB wants to recommend a blog by sociologist Doug Barnes, who specializes in energy and environmental issues but also is a bicycling enthusiast. It takes an uncommon and thought-provoking approach to trail design by focusing on gender. It provides yet another reason why the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) should build a trail that will be popular among a wider variety of bicyclists and pedestrians.
Doug suggests that seasoned male bicyclists will be the main beneficiaries of the proposed I-66 trail based on research on the distribution of bicycle riders that feel comfortable or uncomfortable in various forms of traffic. The current trail design for the I-66 corridor would be attractive primarily to those riders characterized as "strong & fearless" and "enthused & confident" (about 12% of the regional population). These two groups, however, are predominately male; women make up only about 20% of these types of riders. The trail needs to be improved to appeal more to riders in the “interested but concerned category, which includes more than twice as many women.
Here is the link to the full post “Gender Equity is an Issue for the Transform I-66 Trail Design.”
Labels: i-66 parallel trail, women bicyclists
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