Impact of weather on bicycle use

Abstract

This study describes the seasonal variations of cycling in Helsinki and analyzes their association with the weather conditions. The empirical data was obtained from the open data of cyclist counting stations at three locations in Helsinki (Baana, Merikannontie, Huopalahti). Weather data (including average daily temperature, sum of precipitation and average snow depth at the Kaisaniemi weather station) was obtained from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Results show that there is a very strong seasonal variation of cycling in Helsinki. When analyzed individually, all three weather variables showed a statistically significant relationship with the daily number of cyclists. However, when all three variables were entered into the model together, temperature was by far the most influential variable while precipitation was also statistically significant. Snow depth was not significant in the model, and it is obvious that its role is dependent on various other factors, for instance snow clearing, that was not considered in the analyses of the study.