Spatial variations in cycling dissonance: The case of commuting in Greater Brisbane

Abstract

In car orientated nations, most commuters living close to work typically do not commute by bicycle. Empirical scholarship seeking to delineate the various barriers to cycling-to-work present a set of somewhat inconsistent findings. This study seeks to demystify this lack of clarity by introducing the concept of “cycling dissonance”—the mismatch between cycling potential and cycling reality—and place an empirical focus on non-cycling commuters who travel a distance to work, deemed “cyclable.” By introducing the concept of cycling dissonance embedded within a spatial modeling approach, the relationship between cycling dissonance and the natural and built environment is captured whilst controlling for the socio-demographic characteristics of commuters. Our findings reveal important spatial variations highlighting commuters working in areas with hillier terrains, sparser populations and lower employment densities, or commuters living in areas with hillier terrains and higher land-use mixes tend to have higher levels of cycling dissonance. By drawing these results together, we develop a new policy tool that spatially delineates the place-based factors that matter for cycling dissonance and in doing so provide a new evidence base with the capacity to better target place-specific cycling-supportive policy.