What Gets Counted Counts: Equity as a Lens to Rethink the Categorization of Cycling Trips

Abstract

Categorizing cyclists according to their trip purpose drives public investments in cycling infrastructure, yet it dismisses important considerations and leads to unintended consequences. To better encourage cycling, we argue the narrowly defined “bike-to-work” categorization for cycling warrants rethinking because it ignores (1) trip purposes other than “bike-to-work”; (2) the travel behavior and needs of women cyclists; (3) the travel behavior and needs of “invisible cyclists”; and (4) leisure as a possible solution to increase participation and representation in cycling. This research reflection introduces these issues to demonstrate the deficiencies and negative externalities of the neoliberal turn in leisure provision. We aim to encourage planning departments, parks and recreation departments, other local decision-makers, and scholars to recognize the diversity of cycling travel behavior and work to improve the equity of participation and investment in cycling.

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