Physical conflicts in bicycle commuting in Londrina (Paraná - Brazil)

Abstract

Based on Vasconcellos (1985), the research understands that physical conflict is inherent to urban circulation and is traditionally known for space disputes, which can lead to the development of traffic accidents. The objective of the research is to understand the physical conflicts involving cyclists in the city of Londrina, Northern Paraná, Southern Brazil. The methodology consists of the spatialization of claims, in the time frame from 2010 to 2020, from the occurrence of claims in the SIATE database (Paraná, 2020) using the Kernel Density Estimation tool in geoprocessing software and also by means of field work in the cycling network. It was possible to spatialize 3,221 accidents involving bicycles classified in regions of very low to very high density of occurrences based on the variables “year”, “severity”, “gender”, “time” and “vehicle involved”. The results point to an average of 292 occurrences per year, with about 52% of occurrences at intersections. In Londrina, it is still necessary to advance in the understanding of what a cycling infrastructure is, which should not only rely on bike lanes and cycle lanes, but with all the equipment provided for in the Bicycle Brazil Program (PBB), as there are regions with a very high density of accidents still than with an existing cycling network, which can be explained by the large volume of cyclists that travel in these regions.