The Highway to Hell? – Associations and Requirements for Commuting from the User's Point of View

Abstract

Road transport still accounts for 21% of CO2 emissions in the European Union, which is why it is necessary to take a closer look at its causes in view of climate change. Commuting to the workplace or educational institution plays a decisive role, accounting for around a quarter of all journeys. While absolute figures for commuting are available in detail, knowledge about motives for commuting and a holistic view in combination with people's perception of the workplace and the place of residence has so far only been available in rudimentary form. The present paper is an initial step in this direction and relates user perception and evaluation criteria to commute length and mode of transportation used. It was shown that while the evaluation criteria for mode choice are relatively universal, the perception of commuting depends on the means of transportation (public transportation more negative) and the length of the commute. In contrast, current perceptions of the workplace and place of residence had no influence. Further, the view of commuting was positive regardless of all factors considered.