How Technology Can Affect the Demand for Bicycle Transportation: The State of Technology and Projected Applications of Connected Bicycles

John MacArthur, Portland State University

Summary:

The term “connected vehicle (CV)” refers to vehicles equipped with devices, which enable wireless communication between internal and external entities, supporting vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. The widespread deployment of CVs will address a range of transportation challenges related to safety, mobility, and sustainability. Recent research efforts on connected bicycles have focused on the uses and limitations of the state-of-the-art technologies, safety implications, the reliability of various communication modes, and consumer adoption. Existing research focuses on either technologies that utilize data received from sensors and the internet to govern devices attached to the bicycle (situational sensing) or two-way communication. While there has been some mention of how these technologies may encourage an increase in bicycling through enhanced safety, the research is sparse and there is a lack of discussion on how connected bicycles can address other barriers to bicycling. This report provides context into the societal needs of bicycling and the current strategies utilized to increase the bicycle mode share, a cohesive review of existing and prototyped connected bicycle technologies, and discussion about their potential to mitigate barriers to bicycling and better accommodate the needs and desires of diverse riders. We then explore the limitations and benefits of one-way and two-way communications, the potential of bicycle-toinfrastructure technologies, and the future needs and expected pathways of connected bicycle technologies.

Project Details

Project Type:
Research
Project Status:
Completed
End Date:
December 31,2018
UTC Grant Cycle:
Natl Round 1
UTC Funding:
$59,888