Investigating Traffic Volume Reduction through Providing Bicycle Routes: The Case of Historical Regions of Shiraz

Bicycles, as a travel opportunity, are a mode of travel that can replace private vehicles. Although bicycle use composes only a low percentage of the entire traffic volume, the effect that this low percentage has on traffic in Iran should not be ignored and should be planned. Therefore, some cities have planned extensively to provide some special facilities such as special routes for bicycles. Increasing bicycle use through providing special routes for bicycles can result in a reduction in traffic volume. Shiraz, as a metropolitan city in Iran, with a high volume of traffic and with a large number of people, is planning to run subway and provide bicycle routes so as to lighten the traffic and reduce its resulted problems. The present study, thus, aims to investigate the correlation between providing bicycles routes and the reduction of traffic volume in the historical regions of Shiraz. This study is based on the hypothesis that there is a correlation between the rate of bicycle use and traffic volume reduction. To verify this hypothesis, network analyses are used based on GIS maps. The research method used is a mixture of spatial analysis and correlational analysis. The data are collected through referential analysis. The results show that an increase in the bicycle use in not effective in traffic volume reduction and that other factors such as providing bicycle routes can have a significant role in traffic volume reduction.