An analysis on excursion characteristics of electric assist bicycles by travel behavioral comparison based on trajectory data

Electric assist bicycles which are becoming a part of modern life have the possibility to promote bicycle´s excursion and the potentiality for the new travel mode responsive to the hilly landform and the aged society, so that it is important to verify practical effectiveness of them. In this paper, an analysis of effects of electric assist facilities on the excursion of bicyclists is conducted by comparing the travel behavior of the electric assist bicycles with that of the normal bicycles, using the trajectory data of the users of rent-a-bicycle in the urban area. As a result, it is shown that the use of the electric assist bicycle increases the travel distance and the coefficient for the utilization of slopes and this tendency is particularly true respect with the elderly, and that the running speed is less influenced by the longitudinal gradient value of the slopes.