Motivations and barriers to bicycle commuting: Lessons from Poland

Abstract

We make use of a nation-wide survey Bicycle use in everyday commuting (n = 1159 + 300) to identify the motivations and barriers to commuting by bicycle in Poland. Only 10.9% of adult Poles commute this way, and 7.6% do so frequently. Bicycle is also rarely considered a dominant mode of transport. In many cases, it is the choice of the worse-off individuals (poorly educated, less wealthy, rural areas dwellers etc.). Based on factor and cluster analysis of declared motivations, we identified 4 segments of commuters: conscious, forced, pro-health, and lifestyle cyclists. The first group rates existing road infrastructure, cycling facilities and safety issues differently than non-cyclists. The availability of basic facilities (parking place, cloakrooms, showers) is declared significantly more often by cyclists, while car drivers’ behaviour on the roads is evaluated more negatively, comparing to non-cyclists.