Evidence of gendered modal split from Warsaw, Poland

Abstract

In order to design strategies focused on reducing car use and favoring alternative modes of transportation, it is first necessary to analyze and understand the current use of transport. While current discussions on modal share is present in Polish media and political debate in the context of class conflict, the gender aspect that we propose in this article, provides a completely new perspective. The present study analyzes the diverse relationship that men and women establish with different modes in a post-socialist capital city, such as Warsaw, Poland. The study explores how gender disparities are mitigated or exacerbated when interacted with other variables, such as age, access to private transport, and the presence of children in the household and seeks to understand its impact in terms of sustainability. The results show that Warsaw women have a greater willingness to use transit or active modes of transport, despite having cars available. In contrast, middle-aged women, with preschoolers in the household, are characterized by a high automobile dependency, in comparison to other women. Therefore, they should be especially targeted in future policy making.