A Comparative Analysis on Cycling Infrastructure and Usage between Copenhagen, Denmark and Portland, Oregon 56 views

As cities move beyond the age of autocentricity, many planners have begun looking to incorporate different transportation modes into their communities. Among those alternatives, cycling has grown in popularity with individuals citing the social, economic, and physical benefits compared to frequent motor vehicle use. Two cities that have been on the forefront of bicycle planning are Copenhagen, Denmark and Portland, Oregon. Using quantitative and qualitative field observations at various bicycle facilities, this research compares the two cities’ approaches to bicycle infrastructure development as well as its usage. Additionally, the cyclist totals, demographics, and general interactions were all compared to current bicycle level of traffic stress (LTS) metrics to analyze its accuracy to real-life usage. Understanding which bicycle infrastructure combinations promote high and diverse ridership can allow planners of other communities to make informed decisions for their own designs. The observations have revealed the importance of infrastructure that prioritizes cyclist safety and limited automobile conflict. Even though Copenhagen’s cyclist totals at each site were consistently higher than the comparable Portland locations, both cities’ cyclist-oriented facilities saw higher and more diverse ridership highlighting the benefit of planning for many types of cyclists.

BUEP (Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning)

Cycling; Biking; Copenhagen; Portland, OR; Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress

English

2026-05-22