Comfort level of cyclists at roundabouts

Cycling is an important mode of travel for work, education, and other trips. It is being promoted as a part of integrated land use and transport planning throughout Australia as a viable alternative for achieving sustainability. However, cycling is perceived to be a less\ud safe mode. Cyclists are vulnerable road users and don't feel secure in the company of faster motorised modes, especially when it comes to manoeuvering a roundabout. It is\ud generally thought that roundabouts are great for motorists but totally unsuitable for cyclists and pedestrians.\ud Recognising that roundabouts have become accepted and popular form of roundabout control, it is imperative that attention is given to safety and comfort for cyclists and\ud pedestrians at roundabouts. It is also well known that traffic operations and geometric conditions at a roundabout influence the cyclists' perception of riding comfort and\ud consequentially may influence their decision to cycle or not. This relationship is modelled as the Bicycle Comfort Index at Roundabouts (BCIR) and is analogous to the concept of Bicycle Compatibility Index developed by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration for mid-block road segments.\ud The study involves taking videos at a variety of single-lane and multilane roundabouts, acquiring actual data and dimensions of flow and geometric characteristics, and asking a sample of pedestrians and cyclists to assess the level of comfort and safety, if they were negotiating the particular roundabout under each of the conditions videoed. Relationships are then developed between comfort level experienced by the subject and the geometric,operational and environmental factors at a roundabout. It is possible to use the BCIR model to determine the geometric and operational requirements for any new facility to achieve a desired level of comfort or service for the cyclists at roundabouts. The model can also be used for the evaluation of measures for improving the feeling of comfort and safety at roundabouts