Analysis of the Influence of Sport Cyclists on Narrow Two-Lane Rural Roads Using Instrumented Bicycles and Microsimulation

[EN] It is frequent to see cyclists on Spanish two-lane rural roads, both riding individually and in groups. However, these roads were designed only for motorized vehicles, most of them having a narrow section with a null or impassable shoulder. Currently, drivers and cyclists have to share roads and interact, affecting both safety and traffic operation. The possibility of overtaking offers an improvement in traffic operation, however on narrow roads it can be difficult, meaning a greater invasion of the opposite lane thus creating more dangerous situations and implying a higher overtaking duration. To analyze the phenomenon, field data from instrumented bicycles and naturalistic videos were collected, then some performance measures to characterize safety and traffic operation were obtained. To increase the number of overtaking manoeuvres and performance measures obtained from observations, microsimulation has been used by adapting a model to include cyclists and their interaction with motorized vehicles. The traffic microsimulator was calibrated and validated with field data. The results show that cycle traffic presence decreases motorized vehicle average travel speed and increases percent followers and delays. Microsimulation can be used to study other traffic scenarios and can help road administrations to safely and efficiently integrate cyclists to vehicular traffic on rural roads.This research was funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, grant number TRA2016-80897-R and project titled: "Improvement of safety and operation of two-lane rural roads with cyclists (Bike2Lane)"; and by the Direccion General de Trafico of Spain, grant number SPIP2017-02280 and project title: "Road safety countermeasures for two-lane rural roads with groups of cyclists (Safe4Bikes)".Moll Montaner, S.; López-Maldonado, G.; García García, A. (2021). Analysis of the Influence of Sport Cyclists on Narrow Two-Lane Rural Roads Using Instrumented Bicycles and Microsimulation. Sustainability. 13(3):1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031235S11713

Structural Equation Approach to Analyze Cyclists Risk Perception and Their Behavior Riding on Two-Lane Rural Roads in Spain

[EN] The use of bicycles on two-lane rural roads in Spain has been increasing in recent years. However, these roads have no bicycle infrastructure, being cyclists forced to share the road and interact with motorized vehicles. In rural environments, the interaction between road users from the cyclist's point of view is still not well understood. To analyze it, the relationships between risk perceptions and behavioral factors of rural cyclists according to their demographic characteristics, profile, and self-reported knowledge on traffic rules were obtained. An online survey was used, which collected the opinion of 523 cyclists. Data were analyzed by using structural equation models. The Thurstonian Item Response Theory approach was adopted to include raking responses. Different perceptions among demographic groups were found. Younger cyclists present the lowest risk perception while having a higher risk behavior. The knowledge about traffic rules was correlated with safety behavior, showing the importance of this factor. These results are in line with urban cycling. However important differences under risk elements for rural cyclists, mainly associated with potential hazards on the shoulder, have been drawn. These findings may help policy makers to integrate cycling with vehicular traffic on two-lane rural roads in a safe way.This research was funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, grant number TRA2016-80897-R and project titled: "Improvement of safety and operation of two-lane rural roads with cyclists (Bike2Lane)"; and by the Direccion General de Trafico of Spain, grant number SPIP2017-02280 and project title: "Road safety countermeasures for two-lane rural roads with groups of cyclists (Safe4Bikes)".López-Maldonado, G.; Arroyo-López, MR.; García García, A. (2021). Structural Equation Approach to Analyze Cyclists Risk Perception and Their Behavior Riding on Two-Lane Rural Roads in Spain. Sustainability. 13(15):1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158424S119131

Analysis of Overtaking Maneuvers to Cycling Groups on Two-Lane Rural Roads using Objective and Subjective Risk

[EN] In Spain, the presence of cyclists' groups riding on two-lane rural roads in a single file or in parallel line is growing. The number of overtaking maneuvers to them is also increasing. This is one of the most dangerous interactions between motor vehicles and bicycles. However, the risk of these maneuvers has not been analyzed in depth. This research analyzes the objective and subjective risk of overtaking maneuvers to cyclists' groups. During this maneuver, the motorized vehicle overtakes the bicycles with a certain speed and lateral distance. These are the surrogate measures used to analyze the objective risk, whereas the subjective risk was analyzed based on the subjective risk perception that 10 cyclists riding instrumented bicycles (in different group configurations) indicated when every motor vehicle overtook them. Results show that the cyclists most exposed to the overtaking maneuver are those at the front and at the rear of the group. In relation to the configuration, the risk is higher in parallel lines, as the lateral clearance is lower compared with a single line. It is even higher when the overtaking maneuver is flying, which is usually performed at higher speeds and lower lateral clearance. The subjective risk perception increases with higher speed and lower lateral clearance, and is higher at the rear positions. Overtaking in which lateral distance is less than 1.5 m is perceived as the riskiest. These results provide scientific recommendations to enhance safety for cyclists' groups, and to integrate cycling with vehicular traffic on two-lane rural roadsThe author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The study presented in this paper is part of the research project titled "Road safety countermeasures for two-lane rural roads with group of cyclists (Safe4Bikes)'' (SPIP2017-02280), subsidized by the Direccion General de Trafico (General Directorate of Traffic) of Spain. DocumentLópez-Maldonado, G.; Pérez Zuriaga, AM.; Moll Montaner, S.; García García, A. (2020). Analysis of Overtaking Maneuvers to Cycling Groups on Two-Lane Rural Roads using Objective and Subjective Risk. Transportation Research Record. 2674(7):148-160. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198120921169S14816026747Boufous, S., de Rome, L., Senserrick, T., & Ivers, R. (2012). Risk factors for severe injury in cyclists involved in traffic crashes in Victoria, Australia. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 49, 404-409. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2012.03.011Chaurand, N., & Delhomme, P. (2013). Cyclists and drivers in road interactions: A comparison of perceived crash risk. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 50, 1176-1184. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2012.09.005Dozza, M., Schindler, R., Bianchi-Piccinini, G., & Karlsson, J. (2016). How do drivers overtake cyclists? Accident Analysis & Prevention, 88, 29-36. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2015.12.008Walker, I., Garrard, I., & Jowitt, F. (2014). The influence of a bicycle commuter’s appearance on drivers’ overtaking proximities: An on-road test of bicyclist stereotypes, high-visibility clothing and safety aids in the United Kingdom. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 64, 69-77. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2013.11.007Dozza, M., & Werneke, J. (2014). Introducing naturalistic cycling data: What factors influence bicyclists’ safety in the real world? Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 24, 83-91. doi:10.1016/j.trf.2014.04.001Chapman, J. R., & Noyce, D. A. (2012). Observations of Driver Behavior during Overtaking of Bicycles on Rural Roads. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2321(1), 38-45. doi:10.3141/2321-06Llorca, C., Angel-Domenech, A., Agustin-Gomez, F., & Garcia, A. (2017). Motor vehicles overtaking cyclists on two-lane rural roads: Analysis on speed and lateral clearance. Safety Science, 92, 302-310. doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2015.11.005Trenchard, H., Richardson, A., Ratamero, E., & Perc, M. (2014). Collective behavior and the identification of phases in bicycle pelotons. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 405, 92-103. doi:10.1016/j.physa.2014.03.002Debnath, A. K., Haworth, N., Schramm, A., Heesch, K. C., & Somoray, K. (2018). Factors influencing noncompliance with bicycle passing distance laws. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 115, 137-142. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2018.03.01

Drivers' and cyclists' safety perceptions in overtaking maneuvers

[EN] Drivers overtaking cyclists on rural roads are a safety concern, as drivers need to handle the interaction with the cyclist and possibly an oncoming vehicle. Improving the maneuver¿s outcome requires an understanding of not only the objective, measurable safety metrics, but also the subjective, perceived safety of each road user. Previous research has shown that the perceived safety of the cyclist is most at risk at the passing moment, when driver and cyclist are closest to each other. However, to develop safety measures, it is necessary to know how both road users perceive safety, by understanding the factors that influence their perceptions during the overtaking maneuver. This study measured the perceived safety of drivers in a test-track experiment in Sweden and the perceived safety of cyclists in a field test in Spain. For both drivers and cyclists, we developed Bayesian ordinal logistic regression models of perceived safety scores that take as input objective safety metrics representing the different crash risks at the passing moment. Our results show that while drivers¿ perceived safety decreases when there is an oncoming vehicle with a low time-to-collision, cyclists¿ perceived safety is reduced by a small lateral clearance and a high overtaking speed. Although our datasets are heterogeneous and limited, our results are in line with previous research. In addition, the Bayesian models presented in this paper are novel and may be improved in future studies once more naturalistic data become available. We discuss how our models may support infrastructure development and regulation, policymaking, driver coaching, the development of active safety systems, and automated driving by providing a possible method for predicting perceived safety.The test-track data collection was carried out in collaboration with the project Drivers in Interaction with Vulnerable Road Users (DIV) , funded by Toyota Motor Europe, Autoliv, and Veoneer. The field-test data collection was part of the project Improvement of safety and operation of two-lane rural roads with cyclists (Bike2Lane) (TRA2016-80897-R) , funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. This work was supported by the project Modelling Interaction between Cyclists and Automobiles 2 (MICA2) , funded jointly by Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency, the Swedish Transport Administration, and the Swedish vehicle industry through the Strategic Vehicle Research and Innovation (FFI) Program under Grant 2019-03082. The work was carried out at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.Rasch, A.; Moll Montaner, S.; López-Maldonado, G.; García García, A.; Dozza, M. (2022). Drivers' and cyclists' safety perceptions in overtaking maneuvers. Transportation Research Part F Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. 84:165-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2021.11.0141651768

Driver behavior when overtaking cyclists riding in different group configurations on two-lane rural roads

[EN] The presence of cyclists on Spanish rural roads is ever increasing and currently frequent, and thus becoming a serious safety concern. In rural environments, the risk of a crash is higher than in rural areas. The main cause is the higher speed of motor vehicles during overtaking manoeuvres. This manoeuvre is especially challenging when cyclists ride in groups as they may change size, length, shape, and speed along their route. These variables and those related to road cross-section can influence driver behaviour when overtaking a group of cyclists. To study this, instrumented bicycles were used to ride along five road segments with different geometric and traffic characteristics. Cyclists rode individually and in groups. Overtaking was evaluated by analysing the lateral distance, the speed, and other characteristics of the manoeuvre. Wider roads presented higher lateral clearances and overtaking speeds. Narrower roads had a high opposing lane invasion but a high level of compliance with the minimum lateral clearance. A higher clearance and lower speed of overtaking vehicles was registered when cyclists rode in line. Compliance with the 1.5 m clearance depended on the group configuration, being higher when cyclists rode in line. However, overtaking cyclists riding two abreast presented more accelerative manoeuvres, especially on narrow roads.This research is part of the research project TRA2016-80897-R, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the research project SPIP2017-02280, funded by the General Directorate of Traffic of Spain.Pérez Zuriaga, AM.; Moll Montaner, S.; López-Maldonado, G.; García García, A. (2021). Driver behavior when overtaking cyclists riding in different group configurations on two-lane rural roads. International Journal of Environmental research and Public Health (Online). 18(23):1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312797S118182

Atención psicológica dirigida a la población afiliada a Children International Agencia Chimaltenango y exploración de los factores que causan inestabilidad de pareja en madres solteras con hijos de distintas parejas.

Brindar atención psicológica dirigida a la población afiliada a Children International Agencia Chimaltenango y exploración de los factores que causan inestabilidad de pareja en madres solteras con hijos de distintas parejas. El Ejercicio Profesional Supervisado se realizó en la institución Children International, ubicado en el Área de Servicio 03 Chimaltenango, institución no lucrativa que se dedica a apadrinar a niños y niñas de escasos recursos económicos, comprendido entre dos años y medio a siete años de edad. El Ejercicio Profesional Supervisado se trabajó con tres ejes los cuales se describen a continuación: Servicio: En este eje se trabajó con la atención psicológica en forma individual o familiar según fuera el caso, atendiendo a niños, niñas, jóvenes y padres de familia. Docencia: El eje de docencia se trabajó con jóvenes, madres voluntarias, jóvenes becados y padres de familia por medio de charlas con temas de reflexión y de autoayuda. Investigación: Se realizó una investigación identificando algunas problemáticas recurrentes entre la población afiliada a Children International, encontrando con más relevancia casos de madres solteras con hijos de diferentes parejas, con quienes se eligió una muestra de 7 féminas y se trabajó el proceso

An Examination of the Strava Usage Rate-A Parameter to Estimate Average Annual Daily Bicycle Volumes on Rural Roadways

[EN] In Spain, a new challenge is emerging due to the increase of many recreational bicyclists on two-lane rural roads. These facilities have been mainly designed for motorized vehicles, so the coexistence of cyclists and drivers produces an impact, in terms of road safety and operation. In order to analyze the occurrence of crashes and enhance safety for bicycling, it is crucial to know the cycling volume. Standard procedures recommend using data from permanent stations and temporary short counts, but bicycle volumes are rarely monitored in rural roads. However, bicyclists tend to track their leisure and exercise activities with fitness apps that use GPS. In this context, this research aims at analyzing the daily and seasonal variability of the Strava Usage Rate (SUR), defined as the proportion of bicyclists using the Strava app along a certain segment on rural highways, to estimate the Annual Average Daily Bicycle (AADB) volume on rural roads. The findings of this study offer possible solutions to policy makers in terms of planning and design of the cycling network. Moreover, the use of crowdsourced data from the Strava app will potentially save costs to public agencies, since public data could replace costly counting campaigns.This research was funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, grant number TRA2016-80897-R and the General Directorate of Education, Research, Culture and Sport of the Valencian Government, grant number GV/2017/038Camacho-Torregrosa, FJ.; Llopis-Castelló, D.; López-Maldonado, G.; García García, A. (2021). An Examination of the Strava Usage Rate-A Parameter to Estimate Average Annual Daily Bicycle Volumes on Rural Roadways. Safety. 7(1):1-20. https://doi.org/10.3390/safety7010008S1207

Cultures, policies and practices Inclusive in the secondary level II : contributions, possibilities and challenges for its construction.

El siguiente proyecto de investigación se desprende del proyecto "Visibilizando prácticas inclusivas en la Provincia de Mendoza", aprobado en la convocatoria de proyectos bianuales 2016-2018. En esta oportunidad se propone indagar sobre las culturas, políticas y prácticas inclusivas de instituciones de nivel secundario de la provincia de Mendoza. Para ello, el objetivo generar es: reconocer culturas, políticas y prácticas inclusivas en escuelas de nivel secundario de la provincia de Mendoza; los objetivos específicos son: identificar líneas de trabajo en las escuelas para la confección de una guía de análisis institucional sobre culturas, políticas y prácticas inclusivas, construir una guía de autoevaluación institucional que facilite la reflexión y sistematización de experiencias inclusivas y realizar la validación del instrumento de recolección de datos en diferentes instituciones de nivel secundario de la provincia.La metodología propuesta para la presente investigación, parte de un diseño de generación conceptual con instancias participativas (Sirvent y Rigal, 2008). La lógica que subyace al diseño implementado es la cualitativa, buscando comprender la dinámica de los casos estudiados a la luz de categorías y esquemas conceptuales brindados por el INDEX. (Booth, T. y Ainscow, M.2011). Decimos además que tiene carácter exploratorio-descriptivo. Es exploratorio porque permite obtener información inicial sobre la temática para continuar con investigaciones futuras y descriptivo, porque examina características del tema a investigar, permite definirlo y elaborar instrumentos para la recolección de datos.Para el proceso de investigación que implica establecer líneas de acción, diseño de la guía institucional y la validación de la misma, se trabajaran con dos instituciones educativas de nivel secundario de la provincia de Mendoza. Lo cual nos permitirá poder hacer ajustes en relación a la consecución de los objetivos propuestos.Se espera al finalizar el proyecto: -Concretar el diseño una guía de análisis consistente y coherente para que pueda habilitar el reconocimiento de culturas, políticas y prácticas inclusivas. -Develar culturas, políticas y prácticas inclusivas por medio de la guía de análisis institucional. -Aportar a las instituciones escolares una nueva herramienta pedagógica que les permita desarrollar una autoevaluación en relación a la inclusión educativa.The following research project follows from the project "Visibilizing inclusive practices in the Province of Mendoza", approved in the call for biannual projects 2016-2018. In this opportunity it is proposed to inquire about the cultures, policies and practices of the secondary level of the province of Mendoza. For this purpose, the goal of generating is: recognizing inclusive cultures, policies and practices in secondary schools in the province of Mendoza; The specific objectives are: identify lines of work in the schools for the preparation of an institutional analysis guide institutions, policies and inclusive practices, build an institutional self-evaluation guide that facilitates the reflection and systematization of inclusive experiences and perform the validation of the instrument of data collection in different institutions of secondary level of the province.The methodology proposed for the present investigation, part of a conceptual generation design with participative instances (Sirvent and Rigal, 2008). The logic underlying the design implemented is the qualitative one, looking for the dynamics of the cases studied in light of the categories and conceptual schemes provided by the INDEX. (Booth, T. and Ainscow, M.2011).We also say that it has an exploratory-descriptive character. It is exploratory because it allows to obtain initial information on the subject to continue with future and descriptive investigations, to examine the characteristics of the topic to be investigated, to allow to define and elaborate instruments for data collection.For the research process that involves the lines of action, the design of the institutional guide and the validation of it, we work with the educational institutions of the province of Mendoza. What allows us to make adjustments in the relationship with the achievement of the proposed objectives.It is expected at the end of the project: -Specify the design a consistent and coherent analysis guide so that it can enable the recognition of inclusive cultures, policies and practices. -Develop inclusive cultures, policies and practices in the middle of the institutional analysis guide. -Provide schools with a new pedagogical tool that allows them to develop a self-assessment in educational inclusion

Chile pepper variety evaluation and profitability analysis at three farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin, 2022

Latino fresh market vegetable farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin are interested in growing hot peppers for local markets, both for fresh and dried pepper sales. This variety trial is the third and final trial of a 3 year project. We trialed 14 varieties of peppers representing jalapeño, serrano, habanero, poblano, and “other” types. The varieties included the top varieties from 2020 and 2021, alongside new varieties. We measured yield, fruit size, and Scoville heat units. In addition to the variety trial, we conducted an enterprise analysis to determine the profitability of hot pepper production in the Upper Midwest