Cycling to the hospital
A research on what affects hospital employees' willingness to cycle for commuting
S.A.M. Jacobs (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
Niels Van Oort – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Transport, Mobility and Logistics)
E. J.E. Molin – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Transport and Logistics)
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Abstract
Urban congestion and sustainability goals have prompted hospitals to explore strategies for reducing car dependency among employees. This study investigates which factors influence the likelihood of a modal shift toward cycling alternatives, in the context of a hospital facing significant traffic issues. To explore employee preferences, a Discrete Choice Experiment was conducted among hospital staff. The results reveal substantial heterogeneity in preferences, with delay emerging as a particularly influential factor in mode choice. Aside from delay, weather also showed a significant impact, with good weather increasing the likelihood of choosing a bicycle, and bad weather increasing the likelihood of choosing car or public transport. While current commuting patterns are relatively fixed for some, many respondents showed openness to switching to cycling, especially when practical barriers are addressed. Open-ended responses further showed that employees proposed concrete interventions, such as shared e-bikes and a different travel allowance stricture. These findings offer valuable input for developing targeted mobility policies aligned with both institutional sustainability objectives and employee needs.