Optimization of cycle paths with mathematical programming

The recent evolution and development of urban areas has dramatically transformed the layout of cities and has had a significant impact on mobility. Decision makers have become aware of the problem and have begun to take measures to manage the changing demand for mobility through the diversification and promotion of less aggressive and more efficient transport modes: walking, cycling and using public transport. New standards in sustainable mobility are being incorporated into this new scenario to encourage a reduction in car use. These standards form the basis for the design of planning tools and more efficient management systems, among them, encouraging the use of bicycles as an everyday mode of mobility in urban areas. There are a number of programs aimed at the promotion of cycling in cities. One in particular is for the planning and design of cycle paths through the establishment of networks that allow the use of bicycles in preferential paths with high safety guarantees. This paper presents a mathematical programming model for the optimal design of a network intended for cyclists. Specifically, the model determines which type of infrastructure (type of bike lane) is most appropriate on each link of a road network, based on criteria of cost to users and the investment cost of the infrastructure itself. As an application of the proposed model, several experiments are presented on a testing network based on the known Sioux Falls network. As a result of these experiments a number of useful conclusions are obtained for the design of cycle networks from a social and operational perspective within a pre-defined cost. The model has been developed to be highly versatile and to allow any type of change ( different network, different levels of demand, etc...) and to assure the least consumption of computational resources.