The present study uses a qualitative approach with the aim to identify built environmental factors influencing short walking distances for transportation among adults (18-65 years), with special attention to micro-scale attributes. Three focus groups were held in Valencia (Spain) and conducted with participants who undertook, at least once a week, one short non-shopping trip in any travel mode (were "short trip" is defined as less than 30-45 minutes walking distance). A thematic analysis of the data was performed and six categories of factors emerged related to the built environment. Factors were also classified as either barriers to walking, or secondary factors related to the attractiveness of the walking experience and the pedestrian route choice. Results show that factors related to safety from crime are the most deterrent to walking (absence of people and poor street lighting), along with the availability of car parking at destination for car users. Crossing large avenues and roundabouts in Valencia can be a deterrent to walking because of the high density of pedestrian traffic signals with a poor coordination, leading to long crossing waiting times. Secondary factors such as wide sidewalks, the presence of trees, and low traffic volume roads were mentioned by almost all participants. Our findings suggest that sidewalk width may not only influence pedestrian route choice but can be a barrier to walking. Focus groups also revealed that sidewalk cafes and bollards were seen as physical obstacles by some participants.
The design and implementation of effective transport policies to reduce car use in urban areas requires a deep comprehension of the factors that influence travel behavior. In this context, psychological factors play an important role in explaining travel-related decisions. The purpose of this paper is to present a study on the effects of cognitive, affective and behavioral attitudes towards the use of walking and cycling on both intentions and real use of cars, public transport, bicycles, and walking. The data used was obtained from an on-line survey carried out in 2017. Analyses included reliability and validity of the questionnaire, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and structural equation models. Results indicate that cycling and walking are evaluated differently in terms of feelings of freedom, pleasure, and relaxation. Positive evaluation of elements related to past walking behavior are negatively associated to both the intention to walk and actual walking. Transport policies to encourage cycling should be different from those with the aim of promoting walking. Positive attitudes towards walking are not enough to increase real walking.
Personal values are psychological factors scarcely presented in travel behavior studies, despite their importance in determining life choices, decisions and actions. This paper contributes to filling this gap. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of personal values on attitudes, intentions and current cycling and walking. Data regarding personal values, attitudes, intentions and current use of cycling and walking were collected through a web-based survey. Pearson correlations, independent sample non-parametric tests and hierarchical regressions have been used to analyze the information. Reasonably weak but statistically significant direct and indirect effects have been identified between personal values and attitudes towards cycling and walking, intentions and current walking and cycling. Openness to change and self-transcendence values are associated to cycling and walking. Actions to encourage those personal values are needed to improve sustainable transport and mobility.
Qualitative methodology is extensively used in a wide range of scientific areas, such as Sociology and Psychology, and it is been used to study individual and household decision making processes. However, in the Transportation Planning and Engineering domain it is still infrequent to find in the travel behavior literature studies using qualitative techniques to explore activity-travel decisions. The aim of this paper is first, to provide an overview of the types of qualitative techniques available and to explore how to correctly implement them. Secondly, to highlight the special characteristics of qualitative methods that makes them appropriate to study activity-travel decision processes. Far from been an unempirical or intuitive methodology, using qualitative methods properly implies a strong foundation on theoretical frameworks, a careful design of data collection and a deep data analysis. For such a purpose, a review of the scarce activity-travel behavior literature using qualitative methods, or a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, is presented. The use of qualitative techniques can play a role of being a supplementary way of obtaining information related to activity-travel decisions that otherwise it would be extremely difficult to find. This work ends with some conclusions about how qualitative research could help in making progress on activity-travel behavior studies.
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