Drivers overestimate the impact of cycling infrastructure on journey times

Opposition to lower speed limits and cycle lanes usually comes from drivers who believe lower speed limits will significantly increase their journey times. But a new Australian study published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention suggests this is not the case and is not even a universal perception.

Lead authors Miguel Loyola and John Nelson from the University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies found people in the United Kingdom and Australia typically “misunderstand the impact cycle lanes have on speed limits – wrongly believing the addition of a cycle lane means cars inevitably need to go more slowly.”

Loyola and Nelson suggest this may be fuelling avoidable opposition to cycling infrastructure.

Their study involved 1,591 participants in the Netherlands, the UK and Australia. These three countries have similar speed limits in urban areas (50km/h), but the Netherlands has lower speed limits of 30km/h in residential areas.

Participants were shown pictures of streets without cycle lanes and asked to estimate the speed limit. Participants from the Netherlands always estimated much lower speeds than their UK or Australian counterparts.

Participants were then shown images of the same streets with cycle lanes and again asked to estimate the speed limit.

Study participants from Australia and the UK tended to perceive slower driving speeds on roads with cycle lanes, but respondents in the Netherlands did not. In fact the Dutch respondents often increased their driving speed estimates on roads with segregated cycle lanes ie if the cyclists have dedicated infrastructure it’s safer to drive faster.

Loyola and Nelson also make the point that for urban journeys, lower speed limits do not necessarily lead to longer journey times, citing a 2017 study that found “the generic impact of introducing 30km/h in urban residential streets is almost negligible in terms of travel time” – they estimated a 3% increase, or “48 seconds for a 27-minute trip”.

They conclude that “Lower speed limits and cycle lanes are contested issues. Opposition usually comes from drivers who believe lower speed limits will significantly increase their journey times.” But, they add, “Lower speed limits and cycle lanes will not necessarily make your driving time longer. Our study shows that people’s support of cycle lanes is influenced by familiarity with cycle lanes and perceptions of how driver speed limits will be affected by cycling infrastructure.”

You can find further details on the report here