Majority of cycle paths pose “medium risk” to users
A study on the safety of approximately 50 kms of Lisbon’s cycle network indicates that 22.09% (11 kms) pose high or extreme risk to freewheelers.
Promoted by Portugal’s automobile club ACP, the study indicates that 53.53% pose a medium risk to cyclists, and only 24.38% a low risk.
“Risk assessment of cycle paths in Lisbon” – presented today – identified the main risk factors and proposed recommendations to improve cyclist safety given the increase in the number of accidents and deaths since 2019.
Analysing 51.56 kms of paths in the capital, the study used the CycleRAP method, which assesses the safety of cycling infrastructure by anticipating collision risks.
Data obtained shows that the risk of collision between cyclists is low in 95.64% of the network, and interactions between cyclists and pedestrians are low in 79.98%. Collisions between vehicles and bicycles however, represent the greatest problem: the paths present a reduced risk of 49.83%, a medium risk of 29.81%, a high risk of 13.24% and an extreme risk of 7.13% – with high and extreme risks “concentrated in areas with inadequate segregation and high traffic volumes”.
On Rua Castilho, for example, a road classified as extreme and high risk, the segment has “0.6 kilometres with 100% [risk] and cycle lanes on the road have no physical barriers and are completely exposed to motor traffic”.
The most comprehensive recommendation involves “relocating the cycle lane to the opposite side of the street, ensuring total physical segregation” – separating cyclists from vehicles and minimising interactions with pedestrians.
Moving the cycle lane to the left results in a “100% increase in the safety of collisions between vehicles and bicycles” and significantly expands the low-risk zones for other types of accidents, constituting a fundamental transformation in terms of safety.
Interventions can cut risk by 68%: study brings together CycleRAP and Lane Patrol
According to the study, in the city centre the reduced road width and mixed traffic conditions “make it difficult for bicycles to circulate”, while in the riverside area frequent interactions with pedestrians “require careful infrastructure planning to minimise conflicts”.
The simulation tool revealed that targeted interventions can “reduce overall risk levels by up to 68%, providing a strong evidence base for prioritising future infrastructure investments”.
The combined use of the CycleRAP methodology and Lane Patrol’s simulation tools offers a scalable and replicable approach to improving cyclist safety in urban environments, concludes the study.
The methodology can be applied to other Lisbon corridors or replicated in cities such as Porto and Coimbra to improve user experience, bearing in mind that reducing risk “contributes to safer and more comfortable cycling, encouraging greater adoption of sustainable mobility options”.
Source: LUSA
