Abstract There is substantial evidence that the environment has an important impact on the use of bicycles. Changes in the built environment, such as cycling infrastructure provision, usually aim at improving the efficiency, enjoyability and safety of cycling. They can also shape affective responses, for instance by triggering or preventing stress situations during cycling. The repeated occurrence of intensely stressful events may make actual cyclists more likely to abandon cycling and deter prospective cyclists from actually taking up this form of mobility. Therefore, using a novel approach, based on stress biomarker measurements obtained directly from cyclists, the objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between urban environment and cyclists' stress. It also investigates if different types of cycling infrastructures in the contexts of two different countries and in five different cities have different relationships with stress. Using a stress sensor, 70 young adults were invited to cycle along a standard route in Oxford, London (the United Kingdom), Amsterdam, Houten and Groningen (the Netherlands). These routes were around 6 km long and had a wide range of characteristics. Multilevel logistic regression analysis indicates that the probability of stressful events occurring is significantly lower on physically segregated cycle paths than on cycle paths on streets, with cycling on general use streets falling in-between these extremes. We also find higher probabilities of stress for primary roads compared to tertiary roads, at intersections than on straight roads, on cobbled and off-road surfaces compared to asphalt, and in noisier places. Models for the individual cities suggested that the relationship between cycling infrastructure and the likelihood of stressful events occurring may depend on the local context. Only for noise conditions, intersection types and cycling infrastructures were the effects consistent across the cities. These findings may be useful for urban infrastructure planning and management, indicating specific attributes that should be adjusted to make cycling less stressful.

中文翻译：

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自行车基础设施是否会降低通勤骑自行车者的压力生物标志物？欧洲五个城市的比较

摘要 有大量证据表明环境对自行车的使用有重要影响。建筑环境的变化，例如提供自行车基础设施，通常旨在提高自行车的效率、乐趣和安全性。它们还可以塑造情感反应，例如通过在骑车过程中触发或防止压力情况。强烈压力事件的反复发生可能使实际骑自行车的人更有可能放弃骑自行车，并阻止潜在的骑自行车者实际采用这种形式的机动性。因此，使用一种新方法，基于直接从骑自行车者那里获得的压力生物标志物测量值，本研究的目的是调查城市环境与骑自行车者压力之间的关系。它还调查了两个不同国家和五个不同城市中不同类型的自行车基础设施是否与压力有不同的关系。使用压力传感器，70 名年轻人被邀请沿着牛津、伦敦（英国）、阿姆斯特丹、霍滕和格罗宁根（荷兰）的标准路线骑行。这些路线长约 6 公里，具有广泛的特点。多级逻辑回归分析表明，在物理隔离的自行车道上发生压力事件的概率显着低于街道上的自行车道，而在一般用途街道上骑车则介于这些极端之间。我们还发现，与三级道路相比，主要道路的应力概率更高，在交叉路口处比在直路上，与沥青相比，在鹅卵石和越野路面上，以及在嘈杂的地方。各个城市的模型表明，自行车基础设施与发生压力事件的可能性之间的关系可能取决于当地环境。只有噪音条件、交叉路口类型和自行车基础设施的影响在整个城市中是一致的。这些发现可能对城市基础设施规划和管理有用，表明应该调整特定属性以减轻骑自行车的压力。十字路口类型和自行车基础设施是整个城市的一致影响。这些发现可能对城市基础设施规划和管理有用，表明应该调整特定属性以减轻骑自行车的压力。十字路口类型和自行车基础设施是整个城市的一致影响。这些发现可能对城市基础设施规划和管理有用，表明应该调整特定属性以减轻骑自行车的压力。