Wriggling in the crowd: An inquiry into the interactions between electric bikes and pedestrians in a shared space

Abstract

Shared spaces for active mobility aim to offer safe and comfortable mobility for vulnerable road users by separating them from motorised vehicles. However, the distinct navigation characteristics of these users may increase the complexity of their interactions. The emergence of e-bikes which are faster and heavier than regular bikes has further increased this complexity. This study aims to shed light on the interdependency of e-bikes and pedestrians behaviours in shared spaces, and investigate how they influence each other's navigation. Through a controlled experiment in Lund, Sweden, data were collected on a total of 1520 trajectories of e-bike and pedestrians, their demographics and cycling experience. A simultaneous equation model was used to quantify the interactions between the participants. Results demonstrate significant correlations among variables, highlighting the model's capacity to effectively capturing the hypothesized interdependencies. The findings can inform the development of level-of-service indices and surrogate safety measures for shared spaces.