Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP), supported by Lane Patrol and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), has commenced a project to assess the road safety of 40 km of Lisbon’s cycling network applying the CycleRAP methodology.

Over the past few years, Lisbon has significantly expanded its cycling network as part of efforts to encourage active mobility, however cyclists and other road users have raised concerns over the network’s safety and comfort.

Utilising Lane Patrol and the CycleRAP Methodology, the risk of crashes for bicyclists and light mobility users will be analysed, helping to inform the communication of issues surrounding dangerous and problematic cycle paths built across the country to city managers, policy makers, the public and road safety experts.

The club aims to evaluate the existing network in order to provide technical support for potential changes to be implemented in the coming years.

The results will inform prioritised investment plans and the development of a simulation tool to support the construction of new sections of cycle infrastructure, taking into account improved road safety and user appeal.

Marc Figuls, Managing Partner of Factual Consulting said, “By identifying high-risk areas and providing actionable recommendations, this audit in Lisbon is essential to promoting more sustainable urban mobility in the city, ensuring safer and more attractive cycling routes for everyone.”

CycleRAP is an easy, affordable and fast methodology of evaluating road and bicycling infrastructure for safety. It aims to reduce crashes and improve safety specifically for bicyclists and other light mobility users by identifying high risk locations without the need for crash data.

FACTUAL is a Trusted CycleRAP Supplier and Lane Patrol has been used in multiple cycling assessment projects worldwide, including in Barcelona, Madrid, Montevideo, Copenhagen, Oxford and Skopje.

The ACP project is one of 27 projects being supported by the FIA’s 2024 Safe and Sustainable Mobility Grants Programme with potential for scalability to other Portuguese cities.

ACP, in partnership with iRAP, has already assessed the road safety conditions of more than 5,000 kilometres of roads in Portugal.

Read ACP’s original article (in Portuguese) here.

Image credit: Shanna Lucchesi