Public Lecture with Melissa Smith - "When Bike Lanes Are Not Enough"

Mon, 20 Oct, 2025 at 08:00 am UTC+13:00

4 Little London Ln, Hamilton Central, Hamilton 3204, New Zealand | Hamilton

Bike Waikato
Publisher/HostBike Waikato
Public Lecture with Melissa Smith - "When Bike Lanes Are Not Enough"
Advertisement
In this public lecture, Melissa Smith will present their research on โ€œWhen Bike Lanes Are Not Enoughโ€.
Bike Waikato invites you to a public lecture for Biketober 2025.
Melissa Smith is not only the Co-Chairperson of Bike Waikato but a published researcher. Since completing a Master of Environmental Planning in 2024, Melissa has presented their research at the New Zealand Planning Institute conference, the University of Waikato Postgraduate Conference, and the Mathematical Societies Conference. In July 2024, their research was accepted for publication in the international urban planning journal Cities.
Their research investigates classifications of bicycle infrastructure and networks and the relationship between those classifications, network connectivity, and cycling uptake in major cities. It creates a new methodology for local Governments to assess local cycling networks and demonstrates an empirical relationship between connected, low-stress cycling networks and the proportion of people cycling for everyday transportation needs.
The lecture is approximately 40 minutes long and will be followed by questions. The lecture will be held at Trust Waikato.
Abstract (Smith & Xu, 2025): Promoting bicycling is a shared aspiration among cities internationally in pursuit of sustainable urban development. However, while cities are increasingly investing in bike lanes, car dependency remains high. Existing empirical literature examining the reasons behind such a low conversion rate remains inconclusive and limited. In this study, we aim to address this gap by empirically investigating the quality of cycling infrastructure using the Level of Traffic Stress Framework and its relationship with cycling uptake using a case study of seven major cities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Specifically, we first developed a transferable method that combined the Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) framework and graph theory to spatially quantify the quality of cycling infrastructure, and then used Hurdle models to examine the relationship between the presence of low-stress cycling infrastructure and cycling uptake across these cities. We found that while the majority of the roads in these cities are low stress, they are poorly connected, and the greater provision of low-stress cycling infrastructure is associated with more people cycling to work. This study offers important empirical evidence for transport planners to inform decisions that enable longer-distance active commutes and foster broader public uptake of active travel in their communities.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.105526
Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

4 Little London Ln, Hamilton Central, Hamilton 3204, New Zealand, 4 Little London Ln, Hamilton Central, Hamilton 3204, New Zealand, Hamilton

Sharing is Caring:

More Events in Hamilton

The WILSS Amazing Race \ud83c\udfc1
Tue, 21 Oct at 11:00 pm The WILSS Amazing Race ๐Ÿ

Hamilton Gardens Hamilton New Zealand

2025 Young Plumber of the Year National Final
Wed, 22 Oct at 12:00 am 2025 Young Plumber of the Year National Final

GLOBOX Arena & Events Centre, Claudelands

IBJJF RULES SEMINAR
Wed, 22 Oct at 08:00 am IBJJF RULES SEMINAR

63 Mahana road Te Rapa Life Space

Speed Friending Event - October 2025
Thu, 23 Oct at 02:30 am Speed Friending Event - October 2025

126 Comries Rd, Chartwell, Hamilton 3210, New Zealand

Annual Art Competition & Exhibition - Making Changes
Thu, 23 Oct at 07:30 am Annual Art Competition & Exhibition - Making Changes

ArtsPost Galleries and Shop

Exploring Identity - Mixed Media & Collage work with Emma Clifton
Thu, 23 Oct at 08:00 am Exploring Identity - Mixed Media & Collage work with Emma Clifton

THE BASE HAMILTON NSW

Hamilton is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Hamilton Events