Commuting by Bicycle: An Overview of the Literature

TLDR

Commuting by bicycle offers advantages for commuters and society, yet many choose other modes of transport. The study investigates determinants of bicycle commuting to support policy development. A literature survey examined determinants and daily frequency choices of bicycle commuters. The review identified numerous determinants beyond conventional mode‑choice models, suggesting that predicting and influencing bicycle use requires new knowledge, and statistical associations such as proximity do not establish causality. Acknowledgements: thanks to anonymous reviewers and notes were included.

Abstract

Abstract Commuting by bicycle has advantages over other modes of transport, both for the commuter and for society. Although cycling is an option for many commuters, a considerable number of them choose to use other forms of transport. In order to underpin policies that promote commuting by bicycle, this paper investigates the determinants for commuting to work. As many bicycle commuters do not cycle every day, we also examine people's daily choices, in terms of frequency. We conducted a survey of the current literature in order to identify the determinants for commuting by bicycle. We found many determinants, not all of which are addressed by conventional mode choice studies and models. This suggests that predicting and influencing bicycle use needs to be grounded in other kinds of knowledge than those currently available for motorized forms of transport. Acknowledgements We would like to thank three anonymous reviewers for their comments on a draft version of this paper. Notes 1. Of course, this is a statistical outcome that does not indicate the causality of the relationship: given that people living closer to their work cycle more often, the causality is not (or is hardly) from mode choice to distance.