Factors influencing bicycle use: a binary choice model with panel data

Abstract

Abstract Cycling has been commonly neglected in urban transport planning. In the same fashion, there is a shortage of available data on cycling mobility, especially in countries with low rates of bicycle share. Nevertheless, a modal shift towards soft modes such as cycling appears to be one of the keys for progressing towards a sustainable urban mobility paradigm. Understanding the factors that influence bicycle choice is necessary for implementing efficient probike transport policies. This research identifies the main factors affecting bicycle choice for commuting. It analyses an ad-hoc panel survey conducted in Vitoria-Gasteiz, a medium-sized city in northern Spain where cycle rate has rocketed in few years. Data from commuters, either workers or students, were collected in 2012, 2013 and 2014. An unbalanced binary panel model includes both objective – such as gender, age, occupation, car availability, or trip distance – and subjective variables – as attitudinal beliefs towards cycling–. The research confirms the importance of individual´s perceptions on cycling for understanding their modal choice and identifies main factors related to higher bicycle use likelihood.