Investigating the Need for Eliminatory Constraints in the User Interface of Bicycle Route Planners

According to choice models in economics, consumer choice can be modeled as a two-stage process, starting with the choice of feasible alternatives, called the screening process, followed by compensatory evaluation of the remaining alternatives. Although spatial decision support systems used in various application areas support the screening process by allowing users to impose constraints on alternatives, this basic functionality is not widely available in current route planners. Based on an Internet survey of potential users, we examine the need for screening functionality in route planners for cyclists. Part 1 of the survey examines the users’ demand for context information before stating their route preferences. Part 2 and part 3 investigate the users’ demand for constraint functionality with and without context information. The results indicate that eliminatory constraints are essential concepts for the route selection process, and that maps are most effective in presenting context information about route alternatives.