Abstract

Parking restrictions, cycling streets and free public transport tickets - Acceptability and evaluation of interventions for a "travel turn"

Travel behaviour change is one of the key factors for reducing car travel, mitigating transport induced climate change or improving liveability in urban areas. Despite of increasing knowledge regarding the rationalities of travel behaviour and its long-term changes from key events during one’s lifetime, relatively few evaluation studies exist that show the effectiveness and acceptability of related policy measures. It is the objective of this talk to present three studies in the Rhine-Main region, which ultimately illustrate the effectiveness and acceptability of interventions. First, a parking related study questions the acceptability of restrictive measures in an urban neighbourhood by its residents. Surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of residents approves the restrictions if, additionally, the municipality provides improved supply of cycling infrastructures or tools to increase the liveability in the neighbourhood. Second, we evaluated the construction of "cycling streets" and its contribution to behaviour change. Third, we discovered that the free public transport ticket for state employees in Hessen significantly increases the public transport usage of commuters even when compared to the former 'jobticket' holders (reduced prices for season tickets of company employees with employers’ contribution). The three intervention studies show that (i) the acceptability of restrictive policy tools among the population can be much higher than anticipated if a policy mix is well elaborated, (ii) albeit travel behaviour being habitual and stable to some degree over time, interventions may change the behaviour if they are well designed, and (iii) flat rates for public transport may be more effective than small price reductions.

Light lunch provided for registered participants; please register by February 7, 10:00 a.m. (registration link below seminar title)