Cyclable Petrópolis

Barriers and Challenges for a Cycling Master Plan

Abstract

Objective – This study analyzes the barriers and challenges faced by cyclists in the city of Petrópolis, RJ, as a basis for structuring a Cycling Master Plan.

Methodology – The analysis is based on the city’s Mobility Plan, municipal urban planning regulations, and the existing cycling infrastructure to understand the real context of bicycle mobility, complemented by on-site surveys.

Originality/relevance – The study highlights the gap between existing legal frameworks and the effective implementation of cycling infrastructure, underscoring the difficulty of translating normative intentions into concrete action.

Results – The findings indicate inadequate and unsafe infrastructure, including bike lanes and appropriate signage, that increases cyclists’ vulnerability and hinders the expansion of bicycle use as a sustainable mode of transport. The implementation of a Cycling Master Plan is both essential and unlikely.

Theoretical/methodological contributions – The study demonstrates how legal and institutional barriers limit the development of cycling infrastructure and provides input for academic reflections on active mobility policies.

Social and environmental contributions – The study emphasizes that the absence of safe cycling infrastructure directly impacts cyclists’ safety and limits the potential of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of transport, affecting both social justice and urban resilience to climate change.