Institute for Transport Studies FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Institute for Transport Studies FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Why don’t more people cycle in the city: a household perspective. Dr Ann Jopson Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds Leeds Town Hall 1 st May 2014

Why people cycle – the reasons people gave Barriers to cycling – the barriers people identified –Including the influence of others, especially children The biggest factors explaining intentions to cycle and actual cycling Policy conclusions Results from case study surveys: outline of presentation

Why people do/do not cycle Top 3 reasons for cycling –Health, fitness and wellbeing (including that of children) –Save money –Preferred means of transport –72% agree they should cycle to be environmentally friendly (the icing on the cake!), only 25% cycled once a week or more! Top 3 reasons for NOT cycling –Not safe –No bike (storage for it and kit at home + cost can be barriers) –[Bad] weather (is it always that bad?)

Barriers to cycling: the influence of others Respondents sometimes or often unable to cycle because a significant other thinks they … –… will be involved in an accident – 32%, … will be attacked - 23% Respondents sometimes or often unable to cycle because they need to drive to give a lift to … –… a child – 53% not comfortable taking child(ren) in a trailer, child-seat or trailer-bike not comfortable with child(ren) riding their own bike (even with them accompanying the child) too far for child(ren) to cycle –… an older person – 38% (we often think of child escort, but in the context of an aging society…)

Barriers to cycling: trip chaining 60% trip chain once a week or more The need to trip chain prevents cycling for all or some of the trip chains made for 82% The journeys most often combined in a trip chain are: –Commute to work + shops –Commute to work + school/day care run (can be multiple stops) –Shops + personal business

Explaining cycling in Leeds Leeds cycling –48% of intention to make cycle trips (or not) in local area explained… –…by control factors [safety], personal norms and social norms (in that order) –51% of behaviour (number of cycle journeys per week) explained… –…by intentions and control factors (in that order) Similar results in other cities

Measures to facilitate cycling need to: Infrastructure such that people have the opportunity to successfully (inc’ safely and quickly) make everyday journeys by bike –Segregated cycle lanes especially important to facilitate cycling Market cycling such that it becomes a normal way of getting around –Increase flexible working/working at home to reduce time pressure and need to drive children to … to be at work by 9/930am –Flexible city cycle hire as part of a set of linked options – cycle out, bus home (if it rains, or…) –Demonstrate that cycling is safe (when it is; accidents and personal security) such that views of significant others are not a barrier to cycling Secure cycle storage is part of ensuring personal security – the bike will be there to get you home And segregated cycle lanes again.

Measures to facilitate cycling need to: Promote: –How enjoyable cycling can be Those who cycle often derive additional utility from a cycling journey over and above that derived from the destination because the act of cycling is enjoyable, relaxing, de-stressing… –The ease with which local amenities can be accessed (and the existence of said amenities) Many people walked simply because it was the easiest way of accessing local amenities, this could be true for cycling as well with more cycle routes to local amenities and cycle stands at the destination. With city cycle hire this could support trip chaining by bike.

Thank you for listening!