Unmet Needs of Visually Impaired Pedestrians and Urban Cyclists in French Cities

Abstract. The current transition toward sustainable transportation encourages
active mobility, such as walking and cycling. However, grouping cyclists and
pedestrians under a single category of “vulnerable users” often overlooks their
distinct safety needs. This study explores the specific mobility constraints and
expectations of two vulnerable road user groups, visually impaired pedestrians
and urban cyclists, to identify their safety needs in French urban settings.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 visually impaired pedestrians,
4 orientation and mobility instructors, 1 accessibility expert, and 43 urban
cyclists. Interviews focused on mobility habits, infrastructure challenges, and user
interactions.
The thematic analysis reveals that the French urban environment fails to meet
the safety needs of both groups of commuters. Four key issues emerge: the adoption
of specific compensatory strategies to anticipate challenges, a persistent sense
of insecurity, infrastructure misaligned with user realities, and difficult coexistence
between vulnerable users. Visually impaired participants describe cyclists
as silent threats, while cyclists see pedestrians as unpredictable. Cyclists and visually
impaired pedestrians emphasize that the infrastructure disregarded their need
to navigate safely. These findings allow us to formulate several recommendations.
By contrasting the experiences of these two groups, the study underscores that
French cities are not designed for active transportation modes yet. These insights
will guide further studies, aiming to build inclusive and safe urban spaces for all.