Presentation
Impacts of Intersection Design on Cyclists’ Workload – A Naturalistic Study
SessionThursday Poster Session
DescriptionCycling as a transportation mode has gained increasing popularity for its health benefits, environmental sustainability, and urban mobility advantages. However, cyclist safety remains a significant concern in the United States. This research contributes to the literature by adopting a cyclist-centric perspective to understand mental workload at intersections—environments that pose significant safety challenges for cyclists. By identifying how specific infrastructure types and cycling maneuvers affect cognitive demands, our study highlights the critical role of intersection design in ensuring cyclists’ safety. Lateral head movement was much higher when cyclists traveled from an unprotected direction of a two-way stop, which implies that intersections that lack clear right-of-way, are unsignalized, or involve unprotected directions tend to increase cognitive demands. In contrast, heart rate as an alternative indicator of mental workload is heavily influenced by physical fatigue. Future research should be mindful of this limitation and emphasize the integration of multiple measures.
Event Type
Poster
TimeThursday, October 22nd5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Location