The Seniors Safely Cycling project assessed the safest manner of transporting senior citizens along several routes using a Trishaw. The project collected geospatial data, ranked routes, and created maps highlighting potential barriers to the safe use of a Trishaw. This form of assessment will enable the Cycling Without Age (CWA) – Vancouver Chapter to find a best fit when establishing Trishaw routes in several neighbourhoods. The mandate of Cycling Without Age is to increase senior’s activity levels and independence through providing scenic rides on a Trishaw bike.

The Trishaw bike is larger than a standard bike and common bike-lane routes often contain infrastructure (e.g. humps, curbs, etc.) that act as obstacles to the smooth operation of the bike. Trishaw bikes carry senior citizens and providing safe rides is paramount for their enjoyment and the overall feasibility of the CWA model.

The project provided a solution to the method for assessing possible routes for the Trishaw bike. We created a scale for measuring limitations to Trishaw access and safety on City of Vancouver bike lanes.

Standard bike lanes have many obstructions for the smooth operation of a Trishaw. City infrastructure will need amending to enable an expansion of Trishaw routes outside of the Arbutus Greenway. Separated bike-lanes are necessary to ensure the safety of Trishaw occupants. Geographical Information System maps are a useful tool for highlighting safety and infrastructure issues when assessing different modes of transportation.

Download the pamphlet here.