MRP

1.1 | introduction
This Major Research Project investigates the possibilities for the prompting
of modal shift from driving to bicycling in American suburbs that reliably
experience extreme heat. Examination strategies will look at existing dialogue
and literature on barriers to increased cycling and how chosen case studies
have mitigated the most cited barriers to active travel by bicycle in the context
of extreme heat environments. By using examples from cities around the
world with similar environments and best practices cited in literature, the
project looks to bring together lessons successes and failures in cities that
have increased their bicycle mode share and apply them in a climate-sensitive
design application for a study site located in a Dallas, Texas suburb.
Flower Mound
DFW Int’l Airport
Dallas
Fort Worth
10km
F1a: Outline of Flower Mound, Texas
Extreme heat is defined by the US Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
as “a long period (2 to 3 days) of high
heat and humidity with temperatures
above 90 degrees [32C].” (Ready.gov,
2022) Places like Dallas, Atlanta, and
Phoenix can experience months-long
periods of extreme heat. While there are
myriad different influences on American
suburban residents’ choice to drive over
walking or cycling, extreme heat or cold
can operate as a deterrent for active
travel. (An et al., 2019; Butterworth &
Pojani, 2018) However, the relationship
between extreme heat, mode choice, and
barriers to bicycling or walking is not as
extensively studied, whereas research
into the correlations between weather
patterns, climate, and active travel trends
towards more temperate climates or those
that experience extreme weather on the
opposite end of the spectrum. (Masoumi,
2019) Many of the most cited exemplars
of bicycle-friendly environments are
geographically and climatically related,
often having flat landscapes and mild
weather patterns.
Research on the reasons why people
across North America choose to transport
themselves by car rather than by bicycle
points to several common barriers to
active travel. A study by Manaugh et al.
(2016) on residents near McGill University
in Montreal, Canada reveals that concerns
about safety, effort, and comfort are
frequently cited as the largest barriers to
overcome for people who bicycle or are
interested in bicycling, with others like
availability of bicycle parking, cost, and
distance also cited. Research by an array
of authors, such as Pucher & Buehler
(2006), Buehler & Dill (2016), Boufous et
al. (2021), Butterworth & Pojani (2018),
Higgins & Ahern (2021), and Pearson et al.
(2022) also suggest that barriers related
to culture and infrastructure significantly
impact the decision to walk, bike, or
use a car in the United States. However,
answering why people don’t cycle more
in places around the US involves an
almost-infinitely complex set of issues
and interconnected factors. (An et al.,
2019) Furthermore, little research exists
that examines bicycling as a mode of
active travel in environments that reliably
and consistently experience extreme
heat events for prolonged periods of time.
(Pearson et al., 2022)
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