Sustainable Mobility in Commuters: Psychosocial Factors and Mode Choices

Abstract

Climate change and the need for taking an urgent action against it are two tightly related factors strongly characterizing the current global society. Car use and the increasing reliance on cars among people, its effects in terms of societal costs, traffic congestion and road accidents are considered a significant contributing factor to climate change. Promoting a behavioural shift towards a sustainable mode of transport is considered as a crucial strategy to ensure both a better quality of life for actual generation and a clean and sustainable environment for future generations. This dissertation investigated psychologically, how people can best be supported in understanding their modal choice and who policymakers and relevant stakeholders can be supported in handling this challenging with substantial and relevant actions. Since people handle their travel behaviours differently (e.g., depending on their attitudes, values as well as location or the environment where they live), this dissertation followed a human-centred approach to provide additional knowledge on users’ needs, perceptions and decision-making processes. Four studies on psychosocial and behavioural aspects have been conducted among academic commuters, using multiple methods and approaches. The main aim was to deepen the understanding of psychosocial factors and their relationship with situational and environmental characteristics in influencing the commuting modal choice which can be of help in crafting tailored and diversified interventions, both at organizational and policymaking level. In light of the present dissertation findings, a multidisciplinary approach seems to be essential. Indeed, a traffic management system, even if technically perfect, could not reach satisfactory standards if it is not esteemed based on users’ perceptions, motivations, social and built environment, travel behaviour reasons and preferences. In line with this perspective, this thesis contributed to understanding the role of psychosocial factors in mode choices and travel behaviours.