E-Bikes and Urban Infrastructure: A New NSF-Funded Study

​Author: Greg Rybarczyk, Ph.D.

E-bikes offer expanded mobility and access to restorative waterfront spaces, contributing to urban wellbeing.

Have you noticed the sudden explosion of e-bikes on our streets?  With speeds reaching 28 mph and rising crash rates, our current bike lanes may no longer be up to the task.
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As a Fellow at the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health, I'm pleased to announce that my multidisciplinary team has received National Science Foundation funding for our project: "Bicycle infrastructure for all: Understanding users' comfort and safety perceptions to prepare for an e-bike future"

The rise of e-mobility presents both opportunities and challenges for designing mentally healthy urban environments.

E-bikes are transforming urban mobility patterns, offering citizens increased range and accessibility while reducing car dependency. However, their greater speed, weight, and size create unique safety concerns that can directly impact both perceived and actual wellbeing in urban environments.
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Urban stress, safety anxiety, and transportation inequity all represent significant mental health challenges in modern cities. Our research addresses these concerns directly by investigating how different bicycle facilities affect both traditional cyclists and e-cyclists' perceptions of comfort and safety—key components of urban mental wellbeing.

Urban cycling infrastructure designs that promote safety, reduce stress, and accommodate diverse mobility needs.

​Our study employs an innovative socioecological methodology that recognizes the complex interplay between physical infrastructure, social dynamics, and psychological response. We will specifically investigate how different bicycle facilities affect both traditional cyclists and e-cyclists' perceptions of comfort and safety. Using a novel socioecological approach, we'll analyze surveys, interviews, trip trajectories, and street imagery, incorporating generative AI to advance our methods.

Bicycle lanes complement e-bicycling, providing year-round options for physical activity and mental health maintenance.

We're partnering with transportation agencies, bikeshare operators, and cycling advocates throughout the project to ensure practical applications. Our findings will help planners make evidence-based infrastructure investments that enhance safety and promote transportation equity.
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The e-bike revolution represents a pivotal opportunity to redesign urban spaces with mental wellbeing at the forefront. By understanding how infrastructure affects users' comfort perceptions and behavior, we can help planners make evidence-based investments that enhance both physical safety and psychological security—creating cities that truly nurture mental health through thoughtful design.

​Please find out more here. 

E-bicycles represent a key component of mentally healthy transportation networks, offering flexible options for diverse urban residents.

​About the Author

Greg Rybarczyk is a UDMH Fellow and Co-Editor of the Journal for Urban Design and Mental Health, as well as an Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Michigan-Flint. He holds an affiliate appointment with the Michigan Institute for Data Science. He has over a decade of experience utilizing geospatial technology to analyze transportation, urban, and environmental phenomena within government, non-profit, and private sectors. Currently, his research, teaching, and service is focused on active transportation and urban design, and how this relationship influences public health. Greg’s passion for examining human mobility and access is also evidenced in his past research.