Cyclists will soon be able to feel the full benefits of RAP methodology with the launch of CycleRAP, an extended version of the bicycle module.
Developed in the Netherlands by ANWB, it is based on EuroRAP/iRAP methodology and uses scientific research and pilot studies carried out by SWOV, the Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research, which is a global RAP centre of excellence.
CycleRAP incorporates data from a study of biking accidents and analyses a larger number of road features which pose measurable hazards to safe cycling. The initial phase of CycleRAP was funded by the FIA Foundation and the provinces of Friesland and Gelderland. The second phase has been funded by ANWB and the municipality of Amsterdam.
Around 10,000 bicyclists are seriously injured on Dutch roads each year and road design plays a role in half of those accidents. The module provides insights into the roads (including road surfaces and intersections where there is a higher risk of accidents) to enable municipalities and provinces to make roads safer.
The results of a six month pilot on the 550km of bicycle paths and bicycle lanes along Amsterdam’s main city centre roads are currently being analysed. A trial was also conducted on three routes inside and outside the urban area in the Rotterdam – The Hague region.
‘We’re very excited about the potential of CycleRAP,’ said Ferry Smith, Director of Public Affairs for ANWB. ‘We want to make it available to all national and international road managers to promote a proactive approach to a safe bicycling infrastructure.’