Multimodal Travel Choices of Bicyclists

Abstract

Cycling demand has been growing in recent years in Germany. Today, during an average week, about 30% of the German population, including all age classes and rural as well as urban populations, use the bicycle as a means of transportation. Cyclists use their bicycles on average 3 days per week for about 30% of their trips. The bicycle, however, is a mode used for specific segments of everyday travel, particularly short distances, unlike the car, which is almost universal. Hence, cyclists exhibit multimodal travel behavior (i.e., they combine the bicycle with other modes and switch to public transport or the car when the bicycle is not suitable). The domain of the bicycle as a means of transport is a radius around home that on average is about 3 to 5 km, dependent on the urban form. Within this radius, the car with its flexibility is the only serious competitor to nonmotorized modes. For the neighborhood-oriented travel of cyclists, public transport performs well only in specific niches, such as travel at night or commuting to school or university. Here, public transport and the bicycle are competitors. Nevertheless, from a system perspective they are allies: each provides important components for a multimodal mobility tool kit that enables travelers to cultivate mobility that is less automobile oriented.