Propensity to Consider Cycling for Commuting Trips

The British Government launched the National Cycling Strategy (NCS) in July 1996. The aims of this strategy are to establish a culture favourable to the increased use of bicycles for all age groups, to develop sound policies and good practice, and to seek out innovative and effective means of fostering accessibility by bicycle. The central target is to double the amount of cycle trips on 1996 figures by 2002; and double it again by 2012. It is hoped that these increases in cycle trips are as a result of people switching their current mode to bicycle. With this increased interest from national and local governments, there is likely to be increasing demand for rigorous evaluation of proposed schemes in terms of increases in levels of cycling, modal shift and, ultimately, the quantified benefits to existing and potential cyclists. Yet, in contrast to the vast amount of research which has been done on enhancing our understanding of the demand for motorised vehicles, relatively little attention has been paid to the slow modes (i.e. walk and cycle). Furthermore, most studies on existing and potential demands for cycling are qualitative rather than quantitative in nature. For instance, attitudinal factors of choosing or not choosing cycling are well documented. However, magnitudes of different factors are seldom calculated. An Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) sponsored project entitled “Cycling and Urban Mode Choice” (Grant Number: R000237103) started in mid-1997, aiming to identify and quantify the factors that might influence people’s decision to travel to work in urban areas. The aim of this paper is to report the findings of the first stage study of this research project. The first stage study of the “Cycling and Urban Mode Choice” project was to identify and measure the proportion of the general population who would or would not consider cycling to work in urban areas. This study was based on detailed surveys (door-to-door and telephone interviews) of people’s actual mode choices on two what-if situations. The first hypothetical situation is based on provisions of cycle facilities and routes, and the second rests on drastic changes of the current situations of journey to work. Models were built on the survey data to explain people’s choices between driving car, getting a lift, bus, walk and cycle for the journey to work trips

Cycling & Urban Commuting: Results of Behavioural Mode and Route Choice Models

The research reported here was undertaken as part of an Economic and Social Research Council Project (R000237103) entitled Cycling and Urban Mode Choice. The scope of the study is entirely commuting within an urban context. The objectives of the study were: • to better understand the interactions between car, bus, cycle and walk in an urban context and to explain observed variations in cycle trip rates across towns. • to be able to forecast the effect of a range of improvements to cycling facilities on mode choice • to use the estimated models to evaluate some actual schemes • to provide end users (eg consultants, local authorities, cycling organisations) with a tool to determine the effect of policy measures. In particular, to create models which will enhance the performance of strategic, integrated transport studies. The objectives of this paper are: • to describe the methodology that was used to examine cycling within an urban mode choice context • to outline the collection of data required to estimate behavioural models • to report the results of the estimated mode and route choice models • to provide illustrations of how the model can be used to appraise improvements to cycle facilities and cycling conditions. The structure of this paper is as follows. Section 2 gives a brief overview of the policy context of work on cycling in the UK and previous work in the area. Section 3 describes the methodology used to collect the Revealed Preference (RP) and Stated Preference (SP) data necessary for the model. Section 4 describes the data that was collected. Section 5 gives details of the development of the model and some empirical results from the model that was developed. Section 6 illustrates how the model could be used to appraise improvements in cycle facilities and cycling conditions. Section 7 draws some conclusions from the work

Globalization and internationalization as frameworks for higher education research

In contemporary writing on higher education, globalization and internationalization are increasingly popular terms, and they are also increasingly being used as frameworks for higher education research. This article discusses the meaning and application of these terms, documents their usage in higher education research, and critically reviews this research and its usefulness for higher education policy. It concludes that, while many interpret the growing globalization and internationalization of higher education as another effect of neo-liberal agendas, the role of higher education institutions as instigators of further globalization and internationalization should not be ignored, while the compromises they make in doing so need to be acknowledged. It also suggests that higher education researchers themselves need to move out of their national comfort zones and think and research more globally

Pathways to achieving radically different urban walking and cycling futures in the UK by 2030

This paper builds upon earlier work which was presented at Walk21 in 2009 and 2010 which outlined the development of a number of radically different visions for the role of walking and cycling in urban areas in the year 2030. These visions, which were developed through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, present a 2030 where walking and cycling play a significantly greater role in urban transportation than is currently the case, accounting for as much as 80% of urban trips in the most extreme vision. Previous reported work had focussed on the kinds of measures, contextual background and lifestyle changes which would be required to support such visions, how urban areas may appear and the practicalities of daily life. Subsequent research (not yet reported in the public domain) has developed methods for constructing pathways to show how these visions might be reached. A pathway (in a specific city) to the successful occurrence of a vision is defined as being made up of a combination of developments on two separate levels: a Macro level , involving both developments external to the transport system and developments within the transport system but “out of control” of the local authority of the city concerned ; and a Micro level, involving developments within the control of the city’s local authority. The trajectory of developments on a particular level is referred to as a ‘storyline’, so that a distinction is made between Macro - storylines and Micro- storylines. Whilst generic macro - storylines have been developed which are relevant to all UK cities, micro - storylines can only be constructed ‘locally’ by those with sufficient knowledge of a particular city. The focus of the current paper is upon two workshops carried out in the summer of 2011 in the UK cities of Leeds and Norwich. The main purpose of these workshops was to explore how one of the visions could be mapped/adapted to their specific local circumstances and to develop pathways for achieving this vision, taking into account three alternative macro - storylines. The workshops aimed to attract relatively senior people from the local authorities in each area and representatives of stakeholder groups . The workshop size was between 10 - 15 people. The underlying aim of such exercises is to encourage city authorities and stakeholders to think in a more structured, systematic way about how the various potentially -conflicting issues concerning walking and cycling would play out in a long - term future, taking into account that the ‘external environment’ (e.g. the national economy) is highly unpredictable. The paper presents the results from the Leeds and Norwich workshops in terms of the local visions and pathways that they produced. Special attention is paid to results concerned with policies that directly facilitate walking, whilst recognising that a large number of factors (all urban transport modes, land use patterns, ‘society’) have impacts (direct or indirect) on walking. Various conclusions are presented, both with regard to transport policy and the methodology for constructing the visions/pathways and running the workshops

Detection of Outliers in Time Series.

As part of a SERC funded project this study aims to summarise the most relevant and recent literature with respect to outlier detection for time series and missing value estimation in traffic count data. Many types of transport data are collected over time and are potentlally suited to the application of time series analysis techniques. including accident data, ticket sales and traffic counts. Missing data or outliers in traffic counts can cause problems when analysing the data, for example in order to produce forecasts. At present it seems that little work has been undertaken to assess the merits of alternative methods to treat such data or develop a more analytic approach. Here we intend to review current practices in the transport field and summarise more general time series techniques for handling outlying or missing data. The literature study forms the fist stage of a research project aiming to establish the applicability of time series and other techniques in estimating missing values and outlier detection/replacement in a variety of transport data. Missing data and outliers can occur for a variety of reasons, for example the breakdown of automatic counters. Initial enquiries suggest that methods for patching such data can be crude. Local authorities are to be approached individually usinga short questionnaire enquiry form in order to attempt to ascertain their current practices. Having reviewed current practices the project aims to transfer recently developed methods for dealing with outliers in general time series into a transport context. It is anticipated that comparisons between possible methods could highlight an alternative and more analytical approach to current practices. A description of the main methods ior detecting outliers in time series is given within the first section. In the second section practical applications of Box-Jenkins methods within a transport context are given. current practices for dealing with outlying and missing data within transport are discussed in section three. Recommendations for methods to be used in our current research are followed by the appendices containing most of the mathematical detail

Practice-Focused, Constructivist Grounded Theory Methodology In Higher Education Leadership Research

A growing body of education research considers practices, however there is less focus on a methodology that enables practical analysis of practices. Use of practice theory is growing, particularly in work and organisational studies, but practice focused studies more frequently address theoretical than methodological agenda. This chapter proposes a practice-focused, constructivist grounded theory methodology as one approach which can address this gap. After first considering the ways in which, separately and in combination, practice-theory and constructivist grounded theory can support higher education leadership and management research, the chapter considers implementation of this methodology by drawing on a study into the practice of authority in higher education leadership. It concludes by considering some implications for the ways in which practices can be understood and the affordances and limitations of this methodology.Peer reviewe

Traffic pollution: A search for solutions for a city like Nairobi

Congestion and traffic-related pollution are typically the largest contributors to air pollution in cities. Rapid urbanization in developing countries has caused large-scale proliferation in motor vehicle use making cities increasingly congested and, subsequently, polluted. There is a growing awareness that the air quality status quo in East African cities is unacceptable. This paper uses the case of Nairobi, Kenya to discuss current traffic pollution challenges and how they may be addressed. The paper begins with an overview of urbanization and pollution effects. It goes on to look at the specific case of Nairobi as it searches for solutions to the negative impacts of pollution through a lens which sees resolution of congestion effects as key to amelioration of traffic-related air pollution. It suggests that a combination of infrastructure, policy, regulatory and softer measures may provide the most effective way to address traffic congestion and, thus, traffic pollution. In addition, the paper highlights the need for further research into the lived experience of negotiating daily life in Nairobi, as well as further exploration of the social, economic and environmental feasibility of potential solutions for the city. While Nairobi is used as the case study city, the lessons learned are generalized for cities in the East African region, which often share similar traits of congestion and traffic related pollution

Higher education, mature students and employment goals: policies and practices in the UK

This article considers recent policies of Higher Education in the UK, which are aimed at widening participation and meeting the needs of employers. The focus is on the growing population of part-time students, and the implications of policies for this group. The article takes a critical perspective on government policies, using data from a major study of mature part-time students, conducted in two specialist institutions in the UK, a London University college and a distance learning university. Findings from this study throw doubt on the feasibility of determining a priori what kind of study pathway is most conducive for the individual in terms of employment gains and opportunities for upward social mobility. In conclusion, doubts are raised as to whether policies such as those of the present UK government are likely to achieve its aims. Such policies are not unique to the UK, and lessons from this country are relevant to most of the developed world