Strava stats: Council Cycle Path Planning

[sheddy]

Does your council use Strava to measure demand ?

https://amp.theguardian.com/business/2022/apr/30/michael-horvath-strava-co-founder-profile

 

[13 rider]

Strava do release data for planning reasons if it's been requested

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Surely it'll only really inform how many people have taken up strava, not how many people have taken up cycling?

 

[13 rider]

Surely it'll only really inform how many people have taken up strava, not how many people have taken up cycling?

Yes that's true ,but at least it gives planners some idea of numbers because their not going to be bothered doing a proper survey

 

[Mike_P]

Presumably their is a figure for the percentage of cyclists using Strava and hence the figures can be extrapolated to a reasonable approximation.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Presumably their is a figure for the percentage of cyclists using Strava and hence the figures can be extrapolated to a reasonable approximation.

I doubt they have any robust figures for how many cyclists there are, especially ones that commute.

 

[Tom B]

Pretty sure strava metro exists for council's and authorities to buy this sort of data.

When asked a few years ago, my local councils Bolton and Bury didn't use it, nor did TFGM.

I had a chat by chance with one of the council's highways and cycling folk and he said in a way that it was a question he answered ten times a week that don't use it. Reasoning that Strava is generally used by regular competent cyclists that already cycle. These cyclists are generally quite vocal and they're aware of their issues*. The majority of their work (and funding) focuses on enabling people who are new to cycling to cycle. Thus they're not on Strava producing data.

The PROW chap was quite keen on it for helping justify work on some of the PROW infrastructure but he complained not enough walkers use it. Though he did not that when he was getting funding to rebuild a bridge washed away in 2015 one of the councillors challenged him saying that route wasn't well used as nobody used the route on strava in the last 5years. (Erm that's because it's been closed for 5 years and because a bridge is washed out.) He then got a heat map up to show its use in 2014.


*The trouble with relying on the vocal cyclists is that they can often be a bit rabid about their pet projects that make not a not of difference to the rest of us. Without being unkind they tend to be a certain kind of person who is prone to missing the whole picture.

 

[Tom B]

Bury Council and Tfgm have a few routes with counters embedded in the paths, a couple of years ago I remember seeing that someone foi'd the council for the data on a couple of local paths.

I'm not sure if the counters count pedestrians or just bikes. (Inductive loops like at traffic lights)

Anyway they have that data. The trouble is as one path in particular has got really busy with pavement crappers, headphone zombies and stupid gates A to B cyclists have diverted back to the main road. I now only use it between midnight and 6am or if im pootling with kids shouting and trailers bouncing and crashing around.

 

[Mike_P]

Separate issue raised there; I think it is time cycle route signage included a symbol for type of bike(s) it was suited for and an indication of how congested it could be of none cyclists.Taking that a step further an alternative route be signposted for those excluded or wanting a less populated route.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

The problem with using Strava for data is that you automatically only select the type of people who use Strava
Which probably doesn't include a lot of leisure cyclists and but does include a lot of 'serious' cyclists who are bothered about stats and segments and all that stuff

 

[cougie uk]

The problem with using Strava for data is that you automatically only select the type of people who use Strava
Which probably doesn't include a lot of leisure cyclists and but does include a lot of 'serious' cyclists who are bothered about stats and segments and all that stuff

No but Strava will have figures on say 30% of all cyclists do use Strava so can extrapolate demand.
Whether or not non Strava cyclists ride differently or not has probably been researched.

 

[KnittyNorah]

it is time cycle route signage included a symbol for type of bike(s) it was suited for

Agree wholeheartedly with this! It's POINTLESS having a cycle route signed if 20m, 200m or 2km, down said path there is an unnegotiable - and unmentioned! - barrier for a person on a cycle. Even with my small, relatively-lightweight folding bike, there are some barriers locally with which I have difficulty.
Mind you I would want those symbols and warnings to be actually meaningful and reliable - ie useful!

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

If we are going on about cycle paths and planning - it would be nice if they actually bothered to tell you that there is a cycle path available unless you pass the actual start
Round here there is a dual carriageway with a good 2 way cycle path on the North side - absolutely nothing on the SOuth side indicating it - or how in the name of ann the Gods you are supposed to get to it

AND - when there is a cycle path then it would be nice if "they" could mention it when it finishes - I have seen lots where there is a shared cycle path - nice and wide and plenty of room
Then some time later you realise that is is now rather narrower and then you come across a kerb that is clearly not designed for bikes to use - turns out the cycle path ended a while ago but there was no signs or anything!!!

AND - no - I leave the rest for now - getting a bit ranty!!!!

 

[Mike_P]

Mind you I would want those symbols and warnings to be actually meaningful and reliable - ie useful!

A simple bike graphics should suffice MTB, Gravel, Road; the awkward barriers to stop motor cycles seem to being changed slowly to ones that let a straight handlebar bike through.

 

[Milkfloat]

Strava data is pretty much useless for this as it ignores by far the majority of utility cyclists and large number of commuters. The council would be far better looking at probe data from mobile phones.