Monitoring cycling policy: Improved assessment of the effectiveness of cycling interventions

Abstract

Promoting cycling is an effective way to realize a more sustainable transportation system and healthier living environment. Authorities have the means to play an important role in this with the formulation of policies and the implementation of cycling interventions. However, they lack the knowledge on how to determine the effectiveness of cycling policy. The findings of this research support practice with insights from the literature on policy monitoring for cycling on how to better monitor the effectiveness of cycling interventions. A theoretically-underpinned Monitoring Framework is developed that shows what the necessary elements are to monitor policy, what different aspects of policy can be monitored, and how policy monitoring is set in the process of policymaking. The framework is used to systematically compare research findings from a literature scan and case study. In the case study, policy documents have been analysed and interviews with policymakers were conducted to study current policy monitoring practices at two regional authorities in the Netherlands: the regional transport authority, Vervoerregio Amsterdam (VRA) and the Province of Noord-Holland (PNH). Conclusions are made about knowledge gaps in the monitoring of cycling policy in practice which relate to the three components of the Monitoring Framework. Future research recommendations are made on how the Monitoring Framework can be expanded by zooming in and out from the scope of this research. Recommendations for practice are made on how to better embed policy monitoring in policymaking.