Behavioural interventions designed to increase commuter cycling: A systematic review

Abstract

The societal reliance on motorised transport is negatively affecting the health of humans and the environment. Active travel provides a unique solution to both issues by removing the number of motorised vehicles on the road, while also increasing physical activity rates. Interventions that encourage greater uptake of active travel are considered to be highly beneficial to society. This systematic review of the literature sought to provide evidence to answer the question which behavioural interventions increase commuter cycling? Five databases were searched to identify articles that tested a behavioural intervention to increase commuter cycling. Article parameters were defined from the literature and in consultation with the research team. Study selection, quality appraisal and data extraction were undertaken using Covidence. The final 25 articles revealed that personalised travel plans and mobile phone-based platforms were the most common interventions. Unvalidated travel surveys were the most widely used mode of data collection. Modest increases in commuter cycling were observed across studies; however, the heterogeneity of study designs and reporting of results did not allow aggregation of findings. This review highlights the need for high quality behavioural science research into active travel. This will assist us to better understand the most effective interventions that increase levels of commuter cycling, subsequently improving environmental and human health.