CYCLING TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY: MOTIVATIONS FOR BICYCLE USE IN URBAN SETTINGS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v23i36.1747Keywords:
Cycling, Sustainability, Motivations, Bicycle Use, Urban SettingAbstract
This paper examines the motivations behind the choice of cycling as a mode of transportation in urban settings, with an emphasis on its contribution to sustainable urban mobility. Addressing the critical need for sustainable transportation alternatives, this research investigates the multifaceted reasons that encourage individuals to adopt cycling, encompassing personal health, environmental sustainability, economic benefits, and the influence of urban infrastructure. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach that combines an extensive review of current literature with primary data from semi-structured interviews with 200 urban cyclists, the study unveils a complex set of motivators for cycling. Key findings indicate that health benefits and environmental awareness are significant drivers, yet the availability and quality of urban cycling infrastructure emerge as pivotal in enabling the decision to cycle. The main contribution of this research lies in the detailed analysis of the relationship between personal motivators and infrastructural elements. It demonstrates that comprehensive urban planning and policy support are essential in promoting bicycle use. This study provides valuable insights to urban planners and policymakers on how dedicated cycling paths, safety measures, and public awareness campaigns can effectively encourage a shift towards bicycle use in alignment with broader public health and environmental objectives. The research underscores the essential role of comprehensive urban planning and policy support in promoting cycling, highlighting how dedicated cycling paths, safety measures, and public awareness campaigns can effectively encourage a shift towards bicycle use. By elucidating the diverse motivations for cycling within an urban cohort of 200 respondents, this study offers valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers aiming to foster sustainable mobility solutions that align with broader environmental and public health objectives.
Downloads
References
Adsule, P., & Kadali, B. R. (2024). Analysis of contributing factors in decision to bicycle in developing countries context. Transport Policy, 147, 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2023.12.015.
Aldred, R. (2012). Incompetent or too competent? Negotiating everyday cycling identities in a motor dominated society. Mobilities, 7(2), 149-164.
Andersen, L. B., Schnohr, P., Schroll, M., & Hein, H. O. (2000). All- cause mortality associated with physical activity during leisure time, work, sports, and cycling to work. Archives of Internal Medicine, 160(11), 1621-1628.
Biassoni, F., Lo Carmine, C., Perego, P., & Gnerre, M. (2023). Choosing the Bicycle as a Mode of Transportation, the Influence of Infrastructure Perception, Travel Satisfaction and Pro- Environmental Attitude, the Case of Milan. Sustainability, 15(16), 12117. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612117
Brogan, U. (2022). Liberation on Two Wheels: Class, Gender and the Bicycle in Literature. In The Alternative Modernity of the Bicycle in British and French Literature, 1880-1920 (pp. 69–139). Edinburgh University Press.
https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474488600.003.0003
Buehler, R., & Goel, R. (2022). A global overview of cycling trends (pp.
–158). https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.atpp.2022.04.007
de Hartog, J. J., Boogaard, H., Nijland, H., & Hoek, G. (2010). Do the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks? Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(8), 1109-1116.
Félix, R., Moura, F., & Clifton, K. J. (2019). Maturing urban cycling: Comparing barriers and motivators to bicycle of cyclists and non- cyclists in Lisbon, Portugal. Journal of Transport & Health, 15, 100628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2019.100628
Fishman, E., Washington, S., & Haworth, N. (2013). Bike Share: A Synthesis of the Literature. Transport Reviews, 33(2), 148–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2013.775612
Global Bicycle Cities Index. (2023).
Gordon-Larsen, P., Boone-Heinonen, J., Sidney, S., Sternfeld, B., Jacobs Jr, D. R., & Lewis, C. E. (2009). Active commuting and cardiovascular disease risk: the CARDIA study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(13), 1216-1223.
Gössling, S., & Choi, A. (2015). Transport transitions in Copenhagen: Comparing the cost of cars and bicycles. Ecological Economics, 113, 106-113.
Government of Penang. (2021). Penang Bicycle Route Master Plan. Heinen, E., van Wee, B., & Maat, K. (2010). Commuting by Bicycle: An
Overview of the Literature. Transport Reviews, 30(1),
–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441640903187001
Kuala Lumpur City Hall. (2021). KL Car Free Morning Program.
Litman, T. (2013). Evaluating non-motorized transportation benefits and costs. Victoria Transport Policy Institute.
Ma, L., Ye, R., & Wang, H. (2021). Exploring the causal effects of bicycling for transportation on mental health. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 93,102773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2021.102773
NYC DOT. (2014). Protected bicycle lanes in NYC. New York City Department of Transportation.
Oja, P., Titze, S., Bauman, A., de Geus, B., Krenn, P., Reger‐Nash, B., & Kohlberger, T. (2011). Health benefits of cycling: a systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 21(4), 496–509. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2011.01299.x
Pucher, J., Dill, J., & Handy, S. (2010). Infrastructure, programs, and policies to increase bicycling: An international review. Preventive Medicine, 50, S106-S125.
Ravensbergen, L., Ilunga-Kapinga, J., Ismail, S., Patel, A., Khachatryan, A., & Wong, K. (2024). Cycling as social practice: a collective autoethnography on power and vélomobility in the city. Mobilities, 19(2), 329–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2023.2211238
Schübel, H. (2023). Individuals' responsibilities to remove carbon.
Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 1–
https://doi.org/10.1080/13698230.2023.2260241
Shaheen, S. A., Guzman, S., & Zhang, H. (2010). Bikesharing in Europe, the Americas, and Asia: past, present, and future. Transportation Research Record, 2143(1), 159-167.
Teschke, K., Harris, M. A., & Reynolds, C. (2012). Route infrastructure and the risk of injuries to bicyclists: A case-crossover study.
American Journal of Public Health, 102(12), 2336-2343.
Yu, W., Chen, C., Jiao, B., Zafari, Z., & Muennig, P. (2018). The Cost- Effectiveness of Bike Share Expansion to Low-Income Communities in New York City. Journal of Urban Health, 95(6), 888–898. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-018-0323-x
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright & Creative Commons Licence
eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysian Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.