Cyclists are much more likely to use bike lanes when they're available -- even if it means going out of their way and taking longer routes, according to a recent study from Portland State University.
The study was conducted by Portland State University researcher Jennifer Dill.
"Dill recruited 164 bicyclists to carry GPS recorders on their bike trips for seven days. Altogether, they took 1,777 trips between April and November of 2007.
Dill then used the GPS information to track their trips and determine whether they were taking the shortest routes or intentionally choosing longer ones.
Remarkably, the results showed that although only 8 percent of city streets are equipped with any kind of bike infrastructure, 51 percent of trips were taken on them. To Dill, this means that most riders are seeking out such routes, even if they are not the shortest."
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