Travellers’ Propensity to Cycle: The Case of Dublin and Athens

The aim of this study is to identify the factors that affect a person’s propensity to cycle in urban areas. A survey was conducted in two European cities: Dublin and Athens. Dublin boasts a substantial increase in cycling during the past years as a result of the implementation of targeted measures promoting cycling. While, in Athens the design of dedicated cycling infrastructure has commenced only recently, and Athenians’ attitudes towards cycling are still rather negative. Cycling propensity was investigated through the design of a stated preference questionnaire, in which participants were asked to state their willingness to cycle in specific scenarios, with trip purpose, trip distance and infrastructure quality being the parameters defining those scenarios. Probit models were designed and results highlighted both similarities and differences between the two sub-populations. This isolation of specific parameters defining the cycling propensity both regionally and internationally could prove important to design a future suitable transport system for each city, focused on more sustainable transport modes.