Expanding bicycle network in Kristinehamn

Several cities in Sweden receive grants from Trafikverket’s urban environment agreement, which aims to promote sustainable urban environments that leads to an increased share of personal transport by public transport or bicycle transport. Kristinehamn is one of the municipalities that will receive a grant this year, as they now are expanding the city’s cycling network. The aim is to make cycling more attractive by improving safety and mobility.

One of the conditions from Trafikverket for the support is that the municipality hands in flow measurements for traffic. Kristinehamn and traffic planner Hanna Åsander explored different technical and practical possibilities to make relevant measurements. Viscando’s offer became the solution of choice:

• Possible to count all traffic, pedestrians, bicycles, and motorized vehicles, simultaneously. In this way the project can get both counts but also the modal shares directly.
• Get detailed knowledge on how different road users utilize the available width of the road. This was deemed as important information both in the planning and the follow-up stage.
• Possible to count traffic over multiple counting lines in a single sensor, further contributing to cost efficient measurements.
• Get detailed report, which goes beyond numbers in an Excel-sheet by explaining the data and create new insights.

“The results were very interesting, especially the data and visualization of how the pedestrians and cyclists use the available space across the road. For example, we can see that, not only pedestrians, but also surprisingly many cyclists use the sidewalks today. This will definitely help us in the preliminary design of the cycle paths and for further changes, such as width adjustment”, says Hanna Åsander.

The plan is to carry out another measurement for Kristinehamn, once the construction of the cycle paths has been completed, for comparison of the results of the first analysis.

”Using the before and after data from Viscando, will enable us to do a better and objective assessment of the infrastructure changes. This will enhance the internal dialogue but also support the dialogue with Trafikverket, local politicians and the public,” says Hanna Åsander.

Link to Trafikverket’s urban environment agreement: https://bransch.trafikverket.se/tjanster/ansok-om/ansok-om-bidrag/statligt-stod-for-hallbara-stadsmiljoer—stadsmiljoavtal/