CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Considerate Cycling Survey

(17 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Arron.considerate cycling
  • Latest reply from Morningsider

  1. Arron.considerate cycling
    Member

    Hello again city cycling forumers!

    Me and my fellow Masters students (from Edinburgh University) are carrying out some research into how to improve shared path use around Edinburgh. We are trying to come up with a strategy which we will be presenting in the Scottish parliament next month.
    I was wondering if any of you would be interested in filling out our online survey?
    Please follow this link if you are... http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z2MCWTH

    No worries if you are not!

    All the best,

    Arron.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. stiltskin
    Member

    I don't want to be rude. But that isn't a very good survey.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. Morningsider
    Member

    Arron - did you pilot this survey before issuing it? It seems a little lacklustre for something produced by a group of masters students. I would suggest a bit of descriptive text at the start, setting out the purpose of the survey, and some further description alongside each question, to assist respondents in providing useful answers. You may also want to revise some of the multiple choice answers, as they seem pretty random - e.g. I can't really see how inadequate information is responsible for inconsiderate cycling.

    Also, some of the proposed remedies are non-starters. You can't be fined for cycling inconsiderately or required to attend a course.

    I'm trying to be positive here and I hope you consider these suggestions for improving the survey. Good luck with the project.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. steveo
    Member

    Is this a different one from a few weeks ago?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. lionfish
    Member

    This is a little bit of a grumble...

    Hmm, this is the second or third student-cycling thing in the last 6 months or so. None of them seemed to focus on the problem that most people don't cycle (or let their children cycle) because they're too fearful of traffic (the previous one I remember was a survey which clearly was pushing a high-vis-is-the-answer agenda [imo]). How many people are cyclists who are involved in these things? Also was it you guys who tracked me around the cross-roads of MMW with a video camera - I hope you didn't do that to any women without asking first...I'd be worried some people would be upset/intimidated by it.

    In general I feel the survey is somewhat loaded. I'm somewhat confused why the ATAP is mingled into the survey too.

    hmm, sorry to be so negative. I've on occasion reprimanded a particularly inconsiderate bit of cycling, but I'm also bemused by the focus on this in a lot of cycling-related-stuff, when, per minute as a cyclist vs as a pedestrian, I have to deal with far more dangerous, regular and extreme examples of inconsiderate behaviour.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. minus six
    Member

    You state that you are interested in improving shared-path use, but your focus is entirely on cyclists.

    Your questionnaire erroneously describes these shared use paths as being dedicated for cycling.

    "Considerate shared-path use" (comprising questions aimed at cycling, walking and dog exercising) would have been a more balanced focus.

    eg. when exercising your dog on a shared use path, do you employ a short leash to retain control?

    It doesn't really look like that fits your underlying agenda, though...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. stiltskin
    Member

    It is about shared paths ... So why is there a question about stopping at traffic lights?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. Darkerside
    Member

    To echo and expand on the above grumbles...

    Please, go and find a tame maths/data analysis/stats student and go and ask them about data gathering. Morningsider was kind with 'lacklustre' - it's bad enough to utterly invalidate any conclusions you try and draw from the data. Admittedly given the general dodgy standard of data analysis that supports most government decisions the politicians probably won't care, but it would be nice if the effort you put into a masters results in useful information*

    As a suggested alternative, why don't you meet some of the folk on this forum (search for PY threads) and talk through what you mean by 'Considerate Cycling'. You'll then get a feel for what a bunch of cyclists understand by the term, and you'll hopefully be able to find a better way to gather data.

    You'll also get less bad karma from using a friendly community as a free/easy data source without contributing anything back.

    Sorry; it's been a bad day at work, and bad statistics really hacks me off!

    *For example, I can confidently say that based on a two dimensional SIR model, the Black Death does not appear to have been a bubonic plague pandemic. Admittedly I have yet to find an actual use for this nugget...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. Arron.considerate cycling
    Member

    Just to clarify, we haven't been filming any of you, or following you!!
    Your comments are really helpful, I have directed them to my group and we will try and improve the survey!

    Thanks again,

    Arron.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. Arron.considerate cycling
    Member

    Also,

    Don't worry too much about the stats!!! We are not basing our project on the results of this survey, it was just an add on to our extensive interviews! We are just looking to see if we can clarify the data we found in our interviews.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. SRD
    Moderator

    arron - which bit of edinburgh are you from? would be good practice to mention your course and provide a link to your supervisor/degree convenor

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. Arron.considerate cycling
    Member

    Thanks SRD, yeah, I'm from the North of Edinburgh ;) I'll keep your advice in mind!
    Thanks again everyone! I hope I don't get any bad Karma, that would be an unfortunate result of trying to get peoples opinions:)
    All the best!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. gembo
    Member

    Easy enough to fill arron's survey in just answering that we need better infrastructure and citing middle meadow walk as good example of shared path. If we all do that it will skew whiff his/her data, but he /she doesn't seem too bothered about that.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. SRD
    Moderator

    The survey has now been taken down.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. fimm
    Member

    Maybe they're re-drafting it again...

    I noticed that they didn't respond to your suggestion that they let us know their institution/department...!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. SRD
    Moderator

    No, it has been taken down. I have spoken with the course director (by email and phone), and with the student (by PM).

    I had hoped the student would post here himself and explain.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. Morningsider
    Member

    Yes, I would like to know what course Arron was doing - obviously so I can recruit such high calibre students should any openings arise in my office in future...

    Posted 12 years ago #

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