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Promoting Behavior Change toward Sustainable Transport

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 22863

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. E. Owen D. Waygood

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil, Geological, and Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
Interests: sustainable transport; behavior change; social impacts of transport; children’s travel; transport and wellbeing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Erel Avineri

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Guest Editor

Head of Graduate Specialization, Engineering and Management of Infrastructure Systems AFEKA, Tel-Aviv Academic College of Engineering, Tel Aviv 6998812, Israel
Interests: travel behavior; sustainable transport; smart mobility

Dr. Anne-Sophie Gousse-Lessard

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Environmental Sciences Institute, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2L 2C4, Canada
Interests: Human motivation and behaviour change; sustainable mobility; environmental education; ecocitizenship and ecoanxiety

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Transport continues to be a problem area when it comes to sustainability. Emissions from this sector have not decreased like those from most other sectors, crashes continue to be a major source of death, and infrastructure and private costs account for considerable proportions of government and personal expenses. Unfortunately, it appears that transport behavior is one of the more entrenched behaviors, which is likely caused by a variety of factors. Such causes may be related to policies (e.g., taxes and safety) and practices (e.g., planning approaches and infrastructure) that support private motor use; they might also be related to social practice (e.g., chauffeuring children, bulk buying, and different lifestyles), attitudes (e.g., (dis)liking a mode of transport), and perceptions (e.g., what is “good” behavior and what is safe). In all likelihood, changes need to be made in all areas, but it is difficult to disentangle the influences of each.

This Special Issue requests new research on different approaches to improving the sustainability of transport. Such research should examine a change in behavior (real or stated). Preference will be given to research examining a reduction in private motor vehicle use and/or ownership.

Assoc. Prof. E. Owen D. Waygood
Prof. Erel Avineri
Dr. Anne-Sophie Gousse-Lessard
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable transport
behavior change
reducing car use
car-free

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 1594 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Feature Selection Technique to Better Predict Climate Change Stage of Change

by Hamed Naseri, E. Owen D. Waygood, Bobin Wang, Zachary Patterson and Ricardo A. Daziano

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010040 - 21 Dec 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3141

Abstract

Indications of people’s environmental concern are linked to transport decisions and can provide great support for policymaking on climate change. This study aims to better predict individual climate change stage of change (CC-SoC) based on different features of transport-related behavior, General Ecological Behavior, New Environmental Paradigm, and socio-demographic characteristics. Together these sources result in over 100 possible features that indicate someone’s level of environmental concern. Such a large number of features may create several analytical problems, such as overfitting, accuracy reduction, and high computational costs. To this end, a new feature selection technique, named the Coyote Optimization Algorithm-Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (COA-QDA), is first proposed to find the optimal features to predict CC-SoC with the highest accuracy. Different conventional feature selection methods (Lasso, Elastic Net, Random Forest Feature Selection, Extra Trees, and Principal Component Analysis Feature Selection) are employed to compare with the COA-QDA. Afterward, eight classification techniques are applied to solve the prediction problem. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the most important features affecting the prediction of CC-SoC. The results indicate that COA-QDA outperforms conventional feature selection methods by increasing average testing data accuracy from 0.7% to 5.6%. Logistic Regression surpasses other classifiers with the highest prediction accuracy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Behavior Change toward Sustainable Transport)

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17 pages, 1205 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Planned Behavior and Stage-of-Change into a Cycling Campaign

by Lars E. Olsson, Margareta Friman, Yuichiro Kawabata and Satoshi Fujii

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10116; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810116 - 09 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2009

Abstract

A cycling campaign was assessed that used three different nudging conditions to progress people’s stage of motivation to make travel behavioral changes. The results of three waves of survey data showed that this cycling campaign generally strengthened their stage of motivation to reduce car use and that this stage-change, in turn, reduced actual car use while increasing bike use. It was observed that an improvement of cognitive psychological mechanisms was positively related to people’s motivation to change. Although the effect of the campaign was stronger just after it had ended (Wave 2), a reduction in car use, an increase in bike use, and an increase in the stage of motivation were still found three months after the campaign had ended. This is important as it shows that effects favoring sustainable travel last beyond the timeframe of the intervention. We conclude that travel interventions should aim to integrate processes that emphasize cognitive psychological mechanisms and people’s motivation to change as these drive a sustainable behavioral change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Behavior Change toward Sustainable Transport)

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20 pages, 12535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Low-Cost Policy Measures to Promote Public Transport Use: A Case Study of Oyama City, Japan

by Tomohide Azami, Kento Nakagawa and Ayako Taniguchi

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6160; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116160 - 30 May 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3510

Abstract

Breaking away from the dependence on cars, increasing the number of public transport users, and securing operational revenues have been posing a problem for many cities worldwide. As a low-cost policy measure to address this problem, Oyama City (with a population of approximately 167,000) in Japan, conducted a social experiment involving a significant fare reduction (selling passes at Max 70% discount) and a public information campaign (simplified mobility management) for all citizens. This study analysed this policy from two perspectives, namely the change in the attitudes and behaviours of the people, and the maintenance of the financial stability of bus management. The analysis confirmed that the number of pass holders increased by a factor of 2.6, number of pass holders using the bus increased by a factor of 1.16, total number of annual bus users increased by a factor of 1.1, and revenue from bus services was maintained. In addition, public information campaigns increased awareness regarding the passes and the number of citizens who ware attached emotionally to the bus and city. These results suggest that the combination of a significant fare reduction and an appropriate public information campaign may increase bus ridership, without reducing operational revenues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Behavior Change toward Sustainable Transport)

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11 pages, 1418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

I Believe I Can Fly—Conceptual Foundations for Behavioral Rebound Effects Related to Voluntary Carbon Offsetting of Air Travel

by Christoph Kerner and Thomas Brudermann

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4774; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094774 - 24 Apr 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6123

Abstract

Voluntary carbon offsets (VCO) have been introduced as a means of compensating personal carbon emissions related to travelling. Purchases of VCO have remained low in the past, but might increase in the future due to rising awareness about climate change. VCO have been assumed to increase the acceptability of flying among eco-minded people. Therefore, VCO might not only be a tool to offset emissions but also to compensate for “flight shame”. Much research has been carried out to detect VCO purchasers’ motives, but none has explored the potential behavioral rebound effects of VCO with regard to flying. This article contributes to the debate by presenting a conceptual framework that was developed to investigate these rebound effects. First, we present the motives that travelers have for offsetting their flight emissions. These motives already indicate the possibility of a rebound effect. Second, we discuss several conceptual ideas which should be considered for the design of empirical studies. Overall, we argue that the use of VCO might lead to unintended carbon emissions; however, isolating the specific role of VCO remains a difficult task. Nevertheless, research on behavioral rebound effects is needed to clarify whether VCO counteract sustainability in the transport sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Behavior Change toward Sustainable Transport)

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39 pages, 2950 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of the Built Environment Measured at Multiple Levels on Nonmotorized Travel Behavior: An Ecological Approach to a Florida Case Study

by Jina Mahmoudi and Lei Zhang

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8837; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218837 - 24 Oct 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2392

Abstract

Research continues to reveal the benefits of nonmotorized travel modes such as walking and bicycling. Therefore, identification of the factors that nurture these activities is essential in developing sustainable urban planning policies and designs. Among those factors are the built environment characteristics of the place of residence. To date, research on the role of the built environment in nonmotorized travel has focused on neighborhood-level factors. However, people do not stay within their neighborhoods; they live and work at a regional scale and travel to various destinations and distances each day. Nonetheless, little is known about the impact of built environment factors at larger spatial scales on nonmotorized travel behavior. Guided by the principles of the ecological model of behavior, this study investigates the role of the built environment at hierarchical spatial scales in nonmotorized travel behavior. Multilevel Structural Equation Models have been developed to comprehensively examine the complex links between the built environment and individuals’ nonmotorized travel. Findings indicate that built environment factors at multiple spatial scales can influence nonmotorized travel behavior. Thus, to promote walking and bicycling, more effective policies are those that include multilevel built environment and land use interventions and consider the overall physical form of urban areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Behavior Change toward Sustainable Transport)

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Review

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21 pages, 2157 KiB

Open AccessReview

Effect of Major Life Events on Travel Behaviours: A Scoping Review

by Richard Larouche, Ulises Charles Rodriguez, Ransimala Nayakarathna and David R. Scott

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10392; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410392 - 12 Dec 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2978

Abstract

The transportation sector accounts for about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. Previous research suggests that major life events may be “windows of opportunity” for travel behaviour change. Our scoping review examined the effects of seven events (transitions to secondary school, post-secondary studies, labour market, marriage, parenthood, retirement, and relocation) on travel behaviours. Five databases were searched (MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, SportDISCUS, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses) and 80 articles met inclusion criteria. Relocation was the most commonly examined event (with 51 studies). Findings illustrate that moving to compact neighbourhoods (with shorter commute distance/travel time, greater walkability/access to destinations) was associated with shifts towards sustainable travel modes (e.g., walking, cycling, and transit). Relocation might be particularly conducive to implementing scalable sustainable transportation interventions, as all six interventions with appropriate statistical power were effective. Entry into the labour market was generally associated with increased car use and declines in sustainable transportation. Qualitative studies suggested that attitudes towards cycling may become negative during adolescence, while attitudes towards driving improve, highlighting a need for concerted action. Evidence for other events was less consistent. Research in developing countries remain scarce and further intervention research is needed to enhance quality of evidence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Behavior Change toward Sustainable Transport)

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