Bicycle RoutingPatrick Mannon

29 Nov 2016

Why do bicycle routes matter?

Bicycling matters

• Near ubiquity

• Machine efficiency

• Health, economic, and recreational benefits

Barriers

• Poor infrastructure

• Safety

• American urban sprawl

Focusing on Austin2014 Bicycle Master Plan

Austin is a place where people of all ages and abilities bicycle comfortably and safely for transportation, fitness and enjoyment.

• 210 miles of infrastructure

• 2% overall modal share

• 5% - 13% in central city

• Emphasis on improving facilities

• Green Lane Project

• Integration with transit

(2) American Community Survey 2011 5-Year Composite via Austin Public Works(1) Austin 2014 Bicycle Master Plan

Route CharacteristicsDistance Traveled

• Prefer less distance over more

• Average 10 – 15 mph

• 1 mile takes 4 to 6 minutes

• Typically least important

Route CharacteristicsRoad Type

Local or Residential Streets

State or Regional Roads

National Interstates or Highways

Google Maps

Route CharacteristicsBicycle Infrastructure

No bicycle facilities

Shared roadways

Designated lanes

Protected lanes

Route CharacteristicsB-Cycles

Data SourcesAustin Street Geometry and Type

(3) Street Segment, Austin Communications and Technology Department

Data SourcesAustin Bicycle Infrastructure

(4) Bicycle Facilities, Austin Public Works Department

Data SourcesB-Cycles

Data SourcesCreating a combined dataset

Finding a routeSP- based Integer Program

• Base shortest path problem

• Variables: Binary use for each roadway segment

• Objective: Minimize distance traveled

• Constraints:• Flow balance

• Non-negativity

• Bike facility usage

• Prevent use of class 1 roads

Finding a routeSP- based Integer Program

• Variables: 𝑌𝑖𝑗• Objective: min 𝑌𝑖𝑗 ∗ 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑗• Constraints:

• Flow balance: 𝑗 𝑌𝑖𝑗 − 𝑗 𝑌𝑗𝑖 = 1, if 𝑖 = start

−1, if 𝑖 = destination0, otherwise

∀𝑖

• Non-negativity: 𝑖𝑗 𝑌𝑖𝑗 ≥ 0 ∀𝑖𝑗

• Bike facility usage: 𝑖𝑗 ∈no g.w.𝑌𝑖𝑗 ≤ 1 − 𝛼 ∗( 𝑖𝑗 ∈ded.g.w.𝑌𝑖𝑗 + 𝑖𝑗 ∈shar.g.w.𝑌𝑖𝑗)

• Prevent use of class 1 roads: 𝑖𝑗 𝑌𝑖𝑗 = 0 ∀𝑖𝑗| 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑗 = 1

Finding a routeWeighted distance

• Uses networkx algorithms

• Weights based on bicycle facilities

• Large variation in distance• Max distance: 6.568101

• Median distance: 0.075087

• Additive weights: 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 + 𝛽

• Multiplicative weights: 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 𝛼 ∗ 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒

geoplotlibA Better Visualization

• Matplotlib-based geographic visualization

• Allows plotting:• Points on map• Spatial graphs• Heatmaps• 2D histograms• Shapefiles and GeoJSON

• Limitations• Dependencies• Documentation• Rendering

RoutePlotter

• geoplotlib-based geographic visualization

• Additional features:• Color-coded routes

• Route information

• Mousetip route indicator

Output Route Files

• Individual csv file for each unique route

• Ideal of bicycling cue sheets

• Lists route road segments• Street name• Infrastructure type• Segment distance

• Route summary statistics file• Dedicated guideway percentage• Shared guideway percentage• Total distance• Estimated times averaging 10 and 15 mph

Output Route FilesIndividual Route Files

Street Name Guideway Type Distance (miles)

CHESTNUT AVE Wide Curb 0.14365206

ROSEWOOD AVE Bike Lane 0.71817449

E 11TH ST Bike Lane 0.62833213

E 11TH ST Wide Curb 0.05130139

E 11TH ST Shared Lane 0.06717273

SAN JACINTO BLVD Bike Lane 0.67760907

E CESAR CHAVEZ ST Shared Lane 0.15481552

CONGRESS AVE Shared Lane 0.12111915

S CONGRESS AVE Shared Lane 0.18771198

BARTON SPRINGS RD Bike Lane 0.93915463

BARTON SPRINGS RD Cycle Track 0.49313926

BARTON SPRINGS RD Protected Bike Lane 0.07273229

Output Route FilesRoute Statistics File

Route Number Dedicated Bikeway Percentage Shared Bikeway Percentage Distance (miles) Est. Travel Time at 10mph Est. Travel Time at 15mph

1 26.00% 26.00% 4.08 miles 17.0 min 25.0 min

2 53.00% 20.00% 4.14 miles 17.0 min 25.0 min

3 55.00% 18.00% 4.14 miles 17.0 min 25.0 min

4 83.00% 15.00% 4.24 miles 17.0 min 26.0 min

5 83.00% 17.00% 4.25 miles 17.0 min 26.0 min

6 86.00% 14.00% 4.25 miles 17.0 min 26.0 min

Home to ETC

Home to ETC

Home to ETC

Home to ETC

B-Cycle Station Locations

Home to Bee Cave

Home to Bee Cave: Google Maps

Home

Home to Bee Cave: Actual route

• Endurance activity tracking

• Primarily cycling and running

• Tracks commutes and competitions

• Over 170 million rides in 2015

Next Steps

• Further investigation of Strava

• Code cleanup

• Visualization improvement

• Route readout and information

BACKUPS

Route CharacteristicsRoad Type

Local or Residential Streets• Low volume

• No entry/exit ramps

• Most infrastructure

State or Regional Roads• Higher volume

• Potential on/off ramps

• More limited facilities

National Interstates or Highways• Typically illegal

• Very high volume and speeds

Route CharacteristicsBicycle Infrastructure

No bicycle facilities• Least desirable

• Ride in roadway with cars

Shared roadways• “Sharrows” painted on roads

• May be wide shoulders

Designated lanes• Painted bicycle lanes

• Bicycle and parking lanes

• Bicycle and bus lanes

Protected lanes• Off-street paths

• Physical barrier between cars and bikes

Sources

1. Austin 2014 Bicycle Master Plan. https://austintexas.gov/page/austin-bicycle-master-plan

2. Bicycle and Pedestrian Crash Trends in Austin Texas, Austin Public Works Department http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Public_Works/Bicycle/Bicycle_and_Pedestrian_Crash_Statistics.ppt

3. Street Segment, Austin Communications and Technology Department https://data.austintexas.gov/Geodata/Street-Segment

4. Bicycle Facilities, Austin Public Works Department https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?url=http://services.arcgis.com/0L95CJ0VTaxqcmED/ArcGIS/rest/services/TRANSPORTATION_bicycle_facilities/FeatureServer&source=sd