The website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Altai Krai wrote about the project of sociologists of Altai State University for the bicycle infrastructure development in Barnaul
Within the framework of the project "The needs of the population of the city of Barnaul in the creation of cycling infrastructure", developed by order of the Environmental Protection Department of Barnaul, a sociological survey of the city residents was conducted on the topic corresponding to the name of the study. The project, aimed at the formation of an active environmental policy in the capital of Altai Krai, became the final qualifying work of sociology students Anastasia Kenyaikina, Maria Danilova and Yulia Borovinskaya.
"The study took place in two stages. The first was a focus group of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists who discussed the problems and prospects of alternative transport in Barnaul. The second was a questionnaire survey of 675 residents of Barnaul. What can we say? People are ready to invest in the arrangement of their local area, they need bike paths and parking. But as for logistics, engineering solutions and other things, it is not possible to realize without support of the city authorities”, - says Anastasia Kenyaykina, one of the authors of the work.
The results of the survey showed that the lower the income, the higher the desire to switch to a bicycle. Another finding is the older generation loves bicycles like no other. Nevertheless, the majority of the respondents prefer a car to a bicycle. According to the respondents, traveling by car is much faster and more comfortable. As for Anastasia herself, she has been riding a bicycle since childhood.
According to young researchers at Altai State University, to implement the projectit is necessary to take two steps. First, to launch a social campaign with a motto “Why riding a bike is cool”. Secondly, to create a comprehensive project for the improvement of Barnaul’s infrastructure, which would involve engineers, architects, and absolutely everyone who will help to correctly design bicycle routes. Now, according to Anastasia, at best there are several bike paths in the city - and they lead to a dead end.
Summing up, the graduate students of Altai State University did not just do a diploma work, but a social project of practical value.