Applying Road Safety Audits to Bikeways

Modern-day society is undergoing a process of change-evolution that involves increasing use of the bicycle as a means of transport. Policies to promote bicycle use specify the need for safer bikeways, for which reason, as for road safety audits, it is necessary to draw up specific checklists for bikeways that will ensure safer bike travel for bike users. At present, there is no documentation that serves as a guide for the preparation of such audits. In this paper, we propose a checklist that is based on different bikeway layout and design criteria, on requests made by cycling associations, and on the adaptation of road safety audits. The objective of the checklist is twofold: it serves to evaluate the safety of bikeways and it is a guide for the relevant authorities to plan and to maintain safer bikeways. The checklist has been successfully tested in Burgos (Spain), where it was instrumental in identifying the main problems throughout the entire network of bikeways in the city.