Analysis of the Human Barriers to Using Bicycles as a Means of Transportation in Developing Cities

Gustavo Adolfo Correa Solano, Julián David Castañeda Muñoz, Angelica Chappe Chappe, Rogelio Manuel Alvarado Martinez, Rossember Edén Cardenas-Torres, Claudia Patricia Ortiz and Daniel Ricardo Delgado ()
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Gustavo Adolfo Correa Solano: Grupo de Investigación de Ingenierías UCC-Neiva, Programa de Ingeniería Civil, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Sede Santa Marta, Troncal del Caribe, Mamatoco, Santa Marta 470001, Magdalena, Colombia
Julián David Castañeda Muñoz: Grupo de Investigación en Procesos Sociales, Subjetividad y Cognición, Programa de Trabajo Social, Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios—UNIMINUTO, Sede Neiva, Carrera 5 No 12-75, Neiva 410001, Huila, Colombia
Angelica Chappe Chappe: Grupo Investigación: Ciencias e Ingeniería para las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones, Escuela de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Diseño e Innovación, Politécnico Grancolombiano, Sede Bogotá, Calle 57 No. 3-00 este, Bogotá 110231, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Rogelio Manuel Alvarado Martinez: Grupo Investigación: Ciencias e Ingeniería para las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones, Escuela de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Diseño e Innovación, Politécnico Grancolombiano, Sede Bogotá, Calle 57 No. 3-00 este, Bogotá 110231, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Rossember Edén Cardenas-Torres: Grupo de Energía Materiales y Diseño EnerDIMAT, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de América, Av. Circunvalar No. 20-53, Bogotá 110321, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Claudia Patricia Ortiz: Programa Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Corporación Universitaria Iberoamericana, Bogotá 110321, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Daniel Ricardo Delgado: Grupo de Investigación de Ingenierías UCC-Neiva, Programa de Ingeniería Civil, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Sede Neiva, Calle 11 No. 1-51, Neiva 410001, Huila, Colombia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-21

Abstract: In the context of mounting mobility issues in Latin American cities, bicycles are emerging as a vital sustainable solution. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by various obstacles. This study aimed to identify and prioritize human factors inhibiting bicycle use in Colombia to support the development of effective public policies, given that research in this area mainly focuses on designing and developing road infrastructure for cyclists. An artificial intelligence classification methodology was applied to data from a self-administered online survey of 2068 participants. An objective variable was constructed to classify respondents as “potential users” or “non-potential users,” and three models (Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and XGBoost) were used to analyze the predictive power of different barriers. The results from the three models consistently show that personal, convenience, and safety perception barriers are significantly more important predictors than infrastructure factors. Specifically, inconvenience due to subsequent activities, perceived insecurity when cycling, and concern about sweating were consistently ranked as the most critical barriers. Therefore, to effectively promote cycling, public policies should address not only infrastructure development but also the mitigation of subjective and logistical barriers. Thus, these results can inform the design of more holistic mobility programs and serve as a foundation for future research on sustainable mobility.

Keywords: mobility; sustainability; bicycles; predictive analysis; perception; sustainable transportation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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