Individual, social and physical environmental correlates of 'never' and 'always' cycling to school among 10 to 12 year old children living within a 3.0 km distance from school

BACKGROUND: Cycling to school has been identified as an important target for increasing physical activity levels in children. However, knowledge about correlates of cycling to school is scarce as many studies did not make a distinction between walking and cycling to school. Moreover, correlates of cycling to school for those who live within a distance, that in theory would allow cycling to school, stay undiscovered. Therefore, this study examined individual, social and physical environmental correlates of never and always cycling to/from school among 10 to 12 year old Belgian children living within a 3.0 km distance from school. METHODS: 850 parents completed a questionnaire to assess personal, family, behavioral, cognitive, social and physical environmental factors related to the cycling behavior of their children. Parents indicated on a question matrix how many days a week their child (1) walked, (2) cycled, was (3) driven by car or (4) public transport to and from school during fall, winter and spring. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the correlates. RESULTS: Overall, 39.3% of children never cycled to school and 16.5% of children always cycled to school. Children with high levels of independent mobility and good cycling skills perceived by their parents were more likely to always cycle to school (resp. OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.04-1.15 and OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.01-1.16) and less likely to never cycle to school (resp. OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.78-0.91 and OR 0.77; 95% CI 0.7-0.84). Children with friends who encourage them to cycle to school were more likely to always cycle to school (OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.01-1.15) and less likely to never cycle to school (OR 0.9; 95% CI 0.83-1.0). In addition, children with parents who encourage them to cycle to school were less likely to never cycle to school (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.7-0.87). Regarding the physical environmental factors, only neighborhood traffic safety was significantly associated with cycling: i.e., children were more likely to always cycle to school if neighborhood traffic was perceived as safe by their parents (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.07-1.31). CONCLUSION: Individual, social and physical environmental factors were associated with children's cycling behavior to/from school. However, the contribution of the physical environment is limited and highlights the fact that interventions for increasing cycling to school should not focus solely on the physical environment

Promoting Bicycle Commuter Safety, Research Report 11-08

We present an overview of the risks associated with cycling to emphasize the need for safety. We focus on the application of frameworks from social psychology to education, one of the 5 Es—engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement, and evaluation. We use the structure of the 5 Es to organize information with particular attention to engineering and education in the literature review. Engineering is essential because the infrastructure is vital to protecting cyclists. Education is emphasized since the central focus of the report is safety

Cycling habits and other psychological variables affecting commuting by bicycle in city of Madrid

To develop effective cycling policies, decision makers and administrators should know the factors influencing the use of the bicycle for daily mobility. Traditional discrete choice models tend to be based on variables such as time and cost, which do not sufficiently explain the choice of the bicycle as a mode of transportation. Because psychological factors have been identified as particularly influential in the decision to commute by bicycle, this paper examines the perceptions of cycling factors and their influence on commuting by bicycle. Perceptions are measured by attitudes, other psychological variables, and habits. Statistical differences in the variables are established in relation to the choice of commuting mode and bicycle experience (commuter, sport–leisure, no use). Doing so enables the authors to identify the main barriers to commuting by bicycle and to make recommendations for cycling policies. Two underlying structures (factors) of the attitudinal variables are identified: direct benefits and long-term benefits. Three other factors are related to variables of difficulty: physical conditions, external facilities, and individual capacities. The effect of attitudes and other psychological variables on people’s decision to cycle to work–place of study is tested by using a logit model. In the case study of Madrid, Spain, the decision to cycle to work– place of study is heavily influenced by cycling habits (for noncommuting trips). Because bicycle commuting is not common, attitudes and other psychological variables play a less important role in the use of bikes

Cycling habits and other psychological variables affecting commuting by bicycle in Madrid, Spain

To develop effective cycling policies, decision makers and administrators should know the factors influencing the use of the bicycle for daily mobility. Traditional discrete choice models tend to be based on variables such as time and cost, which do not sufficiently explain the choice of the bicycle as a mode of transportation. Because psychological factors have been identified as particularly influential in the decision to commute by bicycle, this paper examines the perceptions of cycling factors and their influence on commuting by bicycle. Perceptions are measured by attitudes, other psychological variables, and habits. Statistical differences in the variables are established in relation to the choice of commuting mode and bicycle experience (commuter, sport-leisure, no use). Doing so enables the authors to identify the main barriers to commuting by bicycle and to make recommendations for cycling policies. Two underlying structures (factors) of the attitudinal variables are identified: direct benefits and long-term benefits. Three other factors are related to variables of difficulty: physical conditions, external facilities, and individual capacities. The effect of attitudes and other psychological variables on people's decision to cycle to work-place of study is tested by using a logit model. In the case study of Madrid, Spain, the decision to cycle to work-place of study is heavily influenced by cycling habits (for noncommuting trips). Because bicycle commuting is not common, attitudes and other psychological variables play a less important role in the use of bikes

Factors related to the intention to buy an e-bike : A survey study from Norway

Author's accepted version (post-print).Available from 08/12/2020.acceptedVersio

Are income-related differences in active travel associated with physical environmental characteristics? A multi-level ecological approach

Background: Rates of active travel vary by socio-economic position, with higher rates generally observed among less affluent populations. Aspects of both social and built environments have been shown to affect active travel, but little research has explored the influence of physical environmental characteristics, and less has examined whether physical environment affects socio-economic inequality in active travel. This study explored income-related differences in active travel in relation to multiple physical environmental characteristics including air pollution, climate and levels of green space, in urban areas across England. We hypothesised that any gradient in the relationship between income and active travel would be least pronounced in the least physically environmentally-deprived areas where higher income populations may be more likely to choose active transport as a means of travel.<p></p> Methods: Adults aged 16+ living in urban areas (n = 20,146) were selected from the 2002 and 2003 waves of the UK National Travel Survey. The mode of all short non-recreational trips undertaken by the sample was identified (n = 205,673). Three-level binary logistic regression models were used to explore how associations between the trip being active (by bike/walking) and three income groups, varied by level of multiple physical environmental deprivation.<p></p> Results: Likelihood of making an active trip among the lowest income group appeared unaffected by physical environmental deprivation; 15.4% of their non-recreational trips were active in both the least and most environmentally-deprived areas. The income-related gradient in making active trips remained steep in the least environmentally-deprived areas because those in the highest income groups were markedly less likely to choose active travel when physical environment was ‘good’, compared to those on the lowest incomes (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.89).<p></p> Conclusions: The socio-economic gradient in active travel seems independent of physical environmental characteristics. Whilst more affluent populations enjoy advantages on some health outcomes, they will still benefit from increasing their levels of physical activity through active travel. Benefits of active travel to the whole community would include reduced vehicle emissions, reduced carbon consumption, the preservation or enhancement of infrastructure and the presentation of a ‘normalised’ behaviour

IMPROVING BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THE USE OF BICYCLE SHARE TRAVEL DATA

Bicycling as a mode of transportation has been increasing in recent years due to its environmental and health benefits. The availability of bicycles through bicycle share programs has made bicycling a more viable option. With this increase, there is a need for complementary improvements of bicycle infrastructure. Many local and regional transportation agencies are recognizing this need and developing a master plan or safety action plan to improve the city’s bicycle and walking facilities. This study examines bicycle travel demands and travel patterns in Lexington, Kentucky as generated by SPIN bicycle share users. It is hypothesized that the SPIN users emulate bicycle users on and around the University of Kentucky campus. Therefore, analyzing their travel patterns will provide a valuable understanding of bicycle demand and infrastructure needs. To identify such demand, travel patterns and routes were compared to the existing bicycle infrastructure in order to determine improvement needs with an ulterior goal to increase bicycling as a mode of transportation. The methods of study include five levels of analysis: length and duration, temporal, climatic, point density, and modeling. Recommendations for improving routes and parking facilities have been developed based on analytical methods and results obtained. The findings support the notion that bicycle infrastructure influences the travel paths cyclists take. The research supports the idea that commuters are using SPIN bicycles to chain their trips with transit and completing the last or first section of the trip with a bicycle. It was found that bicycle travel demand fluctuates with weather patterns. Furthermore, future work could use the existing data and conduct a detailed analysis on the individual trip level to determine what percentage of a completed trip was taken on an existing bicycle facility or on a non-facility. These findings should aid transportation planning and city officials to make decisions for expanding the existing bicycle network in efforts to minimize the percentage of cyclists who take a detour and the length of detours when necessary

Attitudes, perceptions, and walking behavior in a Chinese city

Introduction: An increasing number of studies discuss the relationship of walking with attitudes and perceptions. However, the findings are not consistent, and few studies have examined the relationship between walking and attitudes to overall mobility and multiple modes. In this paper, we contribute to these debates by exploring the relationship between walking for transport and broad attitudes to urban mobility and transport modes. Methods: Using a clustered random sample survey conducted in a second-tier city in China (N = 1048), we hypothesized that people with different attitudes have different amounts of walking for transport. Data analysis methods involved descriptive statistics, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), hierarchical logistic models, and hierarchical linear models. Results: Positive attitudes and perceptions regarding multiple transport modes and related environments were associated with some walking for transport. T-tests indicated that those with different attitudes walked different amounts. Regression models showed that associations between attitudes and odds of people walking varied between genders. Males who perceived bus frequency was not a problem were more likely to walk. Females tended to walk when viewing transportation in the city as convenient. Both findings contribute to the understanding that positive perceptions of overall mobility in the city were associated with higher odds of walking. Meanwhile, among those who did walk, those with positive attitudes towards pedestrian safety crossing streets and those perceiving traffic jams as a problem in their daily trips spent more time walking. Conclusion: This paper concludes that positive broad attitudes and perceptions of overall mobility and all transport modes are related to more walking activities. A better understanding of such relationships can provide a reference point for urban policies aiming at promoting walking for transport

Kulkutapojen yhteys koettuun hyvinvointiin

Transportation can be associated with well-being from many viewpoints. In the field of travel behavior, researchers have studied transport-related subjective well-being in last 10-15 years. Traditionally, the association between well-being and transportation is measured with objective criteria such as travel time costs, road safety or motorized vehicle’s noise. The impact of transport on individuals’ well-being is not however explained comprehensively with objective measures. The multi-discipline approach of transport-related subjective well-being has increased interest among scientists and they have found some significant associations between mobility choices and subjective well-being. Travel behavior and subjective well-being are both a sum on many factors. Travel behavior consists of infinitive number of decisions that people do over space. Subjective well-being consists of experiences and emotions that can be linked to specific domains and activities. Results show that many factors such as travel time, travel mode and quality of travel environment can have an impact on short- and long-term subjective well-being. However, further investigation is needed to understand the impacts of mobility choices on subjective well-being more comprehensively. In this thesis, a cross-sectional study investigates whether mobility choices and some selected socio-demographic variables can explain subjective well-being. A logistic regression model is conducted for simplified analysis of predictors. The results support that active traveling and car ownership are positively related to subjective well-being. Frequent walking and cycling predict high quality of life and self-rated health. Public transport did not show any significant results from the model but active public transport users walk more than people who use less public transport. For women, active walking predicted the highest self-rated health. More cars in a household predicted also high subjective well-being especially for men.Liikenteellä on monia yhteyksiä hyvinvointiin. Matka-aika ja moottoriliikenteen päästöt ovat esimerkkejä kriteereistä, joita käytetään liikenteeseen liittyvän hyvinvoinnin arvioinnissa. Kaikkea hyvinvointia ei voi kuitenkaan mitata objektiivisesti, joten tutkimuksissa ja suunnittelussa tulisi huomioida liikenteeseen liittyvä subjektiivinen, eli koettu hyvinvointi. Liikkumiskäyttäytymisen tutkimusalalla on viimeiset 10-15 kasvanut kiinnostus kulkutapojen merkityksestä koettuun hyvinvointiin. Tutkimustulosten perusteella on todettu, että ihmisten kulkutavoilla ja koetun hyvinvoinnin välillä on merkittäviä yhteyksiä. Yksilön kulkutavat sekä koettu hyvinvointi koostuvat molemmat monista tekijöistä. Kulkutavat koostuvat loputtomasta määrästä valintoja, joita ihmiset tekevät jatkuvasti. Koettu hyvinvointi taas koostuu kokemuksista ja tunteista, jotka kohdistuvat eri hyvinvoinnin luokkiin ja toimintoihin. Aiheet mahdollistavat moniuloitteisen ympäristön, jossa niiden keskinäistä yhteyttä voi tarkastella. Tutkimukset ovat pääosin etsineet yhteyksiä työmatkojen, matkustustyytyväisyyden ja subjektiivisen hyvinvoinnin välillä. Tulokset ovat osoittaneet, että monet tekijät, kuten matka-aika, kulkuväline ja matkustusympäristön laatu voivat vaikuttaa sekä lyhyt- että pitkäaikaiseen subjektiiviseen hyvinvointiin. Tarkastelua ja tutkimusta tarvitaan kuitenkin lisää, jotta yhteys voidaan ymmärtää kokonaisvaltaisemmin. Tässä diplomityössä tutkin logistisella regressiomallilla empiiristä aineistoa käyttäen, voivatko kulkutapavalinnat ja sosiodemografiset muuttujat selittää koettua hyvinvointia. Tulokset tukevat tutkimusta siitä, että aktiivinen liikkuminen ja auton omistaminen liittyvät positiivisesti subjektiiviseen hyvinvointiin. Usein kävely ja pyöräily ennustavat korkeaa elämänlaatua ja koettua terveyttä. Joukkoliikenne ei osoittanut merkittävää ennustettavuutta, mutta usein joukkoliikennettä käyttävät kävelevät muita useammin. Aktiivinen käveleminen ennusti etenkin naisille korkeaa koettua terveydentasoa ja usean auton omistaminen ennusti etenkin miehille korkeaa subjektiivista hyvinvointia