Computational Desire Line Analysis of Cyclists on the Dybbølsbro Intersection in Copenhagen

Contemporary street design prioritizes vehicular traffic flow and assumes compliant road users. However, actual human behavior is typically neglected, especially of cyclists, leading to streets with inadequate wayfinding and protection from vehicular traffic. To improve planning, here we develop a computational method to detect cyclist trajectories from video recordings and apply it to the Dybbølsbro intersection in Copenhagen, Denmark. In one hour of footage we find hundreds of trajectories that contradict the design, explainable by the desire for straightforward, uninterrupted travel largely not provided by the intersection. This neglect and the prioritization of vehicular traffic highlight opportunities for improving Danish intersection design.