Bike Safety in San Diego: A Geospatial Analysis
Primary Faculty Advisor
Diana Chen
Publication Date
Fall 2023
Disciplines
Civil and Environmental Engineering | Engineering | Environmental Sciences | Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Description / Abstract
San Diego’s favorable climate makes cycling an attractive option for transportation and recreation, yet its bike infrastructure remains fragmented and often unsafe. This project uses geospatial analysis to investigate how infrastructure, traffic conditions, and neighborhood characteristics influence bicycle safety across the city. Using collision data from UC Berkeley’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (2009–2020), SANDAG bike route and road layers, traffic volume data, and census tract demographics, I mapped bicycle crashes and analyzed patterns across different spatial factors. Results show that more protected infrastructure—such as multi-use bike paths—has substantially lower crash rates than bike lanes or unprotected routes. Crash rates also increase on roads with higher traffic volumes, suggesting that exposure to vehicles is a key driver of risk. Additionally, preliminary demographic comparisons suggest that wealthier census tracts tend to experience lower crash rates and slightly greater access to protected bike paths, though a more rigorous statistical analysis (e.g., hypothesis testing or permutation testing) would be required to confirm the strength and significance of this relationship. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of expanding protected, connected cycling infrastructure—particularly on high-traffic corridors—to improve safety and encourage broader adoption of cycling in San Diego.