Exploring University Campus Community’s Perceptions and Barriers toward Biking: A Case Study of the University of Tennessee Knoxville — Oak Academic Publishing
Research ArticleOpen AccessGoogle Scholar indexed
Exploring University Campus Community’s Perceptions and Barriers toward Biking: A Case Study of the University of Tennessee Knoxville
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
,
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
1 Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
2 Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
Bicycling constitutes an integral component of sustainable non-motorized means of travel. Despite the immense benefits of bicycling, the modal share of bicycling is quite low, specifically among young and low-income commuters e.g., college and university students. This study explores the perceptions of and barriers to bicycling of the campus community at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with the aim to identify the factors that could enhance bike use among students at the university campus as well as highlight the barriers that keep young population away from biking. An online survey about bike use at the university campus was administered and responses to the survey were recorded. On the methodological front, a binary logit model was estimated with students’ willingness to use bikes at campus as the dependent variable. The survey results revealed that about 47% of the students considered vehicular traffic as the reason for feeling unsafe while biking and emphasized having separate bike routes. Most of the respondents highlighted the need to change clothes after biking in summer or carry things as the reason for not selecting bikes as a mode of transport at the campus, whereas inadequate bike lanes, paths, or trails, insufficient lighting along bike routes, and the lack of adequate bicycle parking were highlighted as the major barriers deterring bike use within the campus. The study suggests development of a campus bike network with proper bike lanes, bike runnels, installation of safety cameras and better lighting at the campus, and bike-supporting infrastructure such as communal showers to be provided in campus buildings to encourage bike use among university students. The study findings can assist campus transportation planners in devising a sustainable campus transportation plan incorporating the influencing factors and deterrents of bike use in a university campus setting.
KeywordsBike useBike InfrastructureEducational InstitutesSurveyBinary Logit Model
Gopi, R., Pathak, D.V. and Pratap, S. (2024) Barriers and Drivers for Sustainable Public Transportation in Indian Context. Green Energy and Intelligent Transport a tion , 3, Article ID: 100141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geits.2023.100141
Karimipour, H., Tam, V.W., Le, K.N. and Burnie, H. (2021) A Greenhouse-Gas Emission Reduction Toolkit at Urban Scale. Sustainable Cities and Society , 73, Article ID: 103103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.103103
Næss, P., Saglie, I.L. and Richardson, T. (2020) Urban Sustainability: Is Densification Sufficient? European Planning Studies , 28, 146-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2019.1604633
Xue, J., Walnum, H.J., Aall, C. and Næss, P. (2016) Two Contrasting Scenarios for a Zero-Emission Future in a High-Consumption Society. Sustainability , 9, Article 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9010020
Eom, H., Iseki, H. and Warner, C. (2017) University Transport Demand Management: Travel Options toward Better Sustainable. Final Report prepared for The National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, University of Maryland, College Park. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30734.00324
Kenworthy, J.R. and Svensson, H. (2022) Exploring the Energy Saving Potential in Private, Public and Non-Motorized Transport for Ten Swedish Cities. Sustainabil i ty , 14, Article 954. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020954
Turner-Brady, R. (2022) Sustainable Transportation for All: An Analysis of Non-Motorized Transport. Master’s Thesis, University of Washington, Washington D.C.
Meyer De Freitas, L. and Axhausen, K.W. (2023) How Do Bike Types and Cycling Frequency Shape Cycling Infrastructure Preferences? A Stated-Preference Survey. Arbeitsberichte Verkehrs-Und Raumplanung , Vol. 1847.
Muhammad, A., Bilal, K.M. and Kamran, S.M. (2018) Work Zone Traffic Management in Rehabilitation of M-2. Journal of Sustainable Development of Transport and Logistics , 3, 99-108. https://doi.org/10.14254/jsdtl.2018.3-3.8
Thapa, D., Mishra, S., Khattak, A. and Adeel, M. (2024) Assessing Driver Behavior in Work Zones: A Discretized Duration Approach to Predict Speeding. Accident Analysis & Prevention , 196, Article ID: 107427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2023.107427
Mansoor, U., Kashifi, M.T., Safi, F.R. and Rahman, S.M. (2022) A Review of Factors and Benefits of Non-Motorized Transport: A Way Forward for Developing Countries. Environment , Development and Sustainability , 24, 1560-1582. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01531-9
Mohiuddin, H., Jamal, S. and Bhuiya, M.M.R. (2022) To Bike or Not to Bike: Exploring Cycling for Commuting and Non-Commuting in Bangladesh. Transport a tion Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives , 14, Article ID: 100614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100614
Rayaprolu, H.S., Llorca, C. and Moeckel, R. (2020) Impact of Bicycle Highways on Commuter Mode Choice: A Scenario Analysis. Environment and Planning B : U r ban Analytics and City Science , 47, 662-677. https://doi.org/10.1177/2399808318797334
Fortes, L.M. and Giannotti, M. (2023) Understanding Multidimensional Inequalities Considering Gender, Class, and Race to Develop Bike-Friendly Cities. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4145401 https://ssrn.com/abstract=4145401
Higgins, R. and Ahern, A. (2021) Students’ and Parents’ Perceptions of Barriers to Cycling to School—An Analysis By Gender. Sustainability , 13, Article 13213. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313213
Marquart, H., Schlink, U. and Ueberham, M. (2020) The Planned and The Perceived City: A Comparison of Cyclists’ and Decision-Makers’ Views on Cycling Quality. Journal of Transport Geography , 82, Article ID: 102602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2019.102602
Pearson, L., Gabbe, B., Reeder, S. and Beck, B. (2023) Barriers and Enablers of Bike Riding for Transport and Recreational Purposes in Australia. Journal of Transport & Health , 28, Article ID: 101538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2022.101538
Ravensbergen, L., Buliung, R. and Laliberté, N. (2020) Fear of Cycling: Social, Spatial, and Temporal Dimensions. Journal of Transport Geography , 87, Article ID: 102813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102813
Shaaban, K. (2020) Why Don’t People Ride Bicycles in High-Income Developing Countries, and Can Bike-Sharing Be the Solution? The Case of Qatar. Sustainability , 12, Article 1693. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041693
Farag, K. and Aktas, C.B. (2024) A Survey of the Most Prevalent Sustainability Initiatives at Universities. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education . https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-07-2023-0285
Kaplan, D.H. (2015) Transportation Sustainability on a University Campus. Inte r national Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education , 16, 173-186. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-03-2013-0023
Kelarestaghi, K.B., Ermagun, A. and Heaslip, K.P. (2019) Cycling Usage and Frequency Determinants in College Campuses. Cities , 90, 216-228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2019.02.004
Rybarczyk, G. and Gallagher, L. (2014) Measuring the Potential for Bicycling and Walking at a Metropolitan Commuter University. Journal of Transport Geography , 39, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2014.06.009
Abdulrazzaq, Z.M., Al-Abdaly, H.M. and Ahmad, M.D. (2024) The Sustainable Campus-University of Anbar as Model. AIP Conference Proceedings , 2885, Article ID: 020015. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0181572
Chen, Y., Zeng, D., Deveci, M. and Coffman, D.M. (2024) Life Cycle Analysis of Bike Sharing Systems: A Case Study of Washington DC. Environmental Impact A s sessment Review , 106, Article ID: 107455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107455
Fitch, D.T. and Handy, S.L. (2020) Road Environments and Bicyclist Route Choice: The Cases of Davis and San Francisco, CA. Journal of Transport Geography , 85, Article ID: 102705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102705
Scott, D.M., Lu, W. and Brown, M.J. (2021) Route Choice of Bike Share Users: Leveraging GPS Data to Derive Choice Sets. Journal of Transport Geography , 90, Article ID: 102903. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102903
Dill, J. and Gliebe, J. (2008) Understanding and Measuring Bicycling Behavior: A Focus on Travel Time and Route Choice. Final report OTREC-RR-08-03 prepared for Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC). https://doi.org/10.15760/trec.151
Humagain, P. and Singleton, P.A. (2020) Investigating Travel Time Satisfaction and Actual Versus Ideal Commute Times: A Path Analysis Approach. Journal of Tran s port & Health , 16, Article ID: 100829. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2020.100829
Meister, A., Felder, M., Schmid, B. and Axhausen, K.W. (2023) Route Choice Modeling for Cyclists on Urban Networks. Transportation Research Part A : Policy and Practice , 173, Article ID: 103723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2023.103723
Smit, J. (2021) Cycling Behaviours: Minimising Travel Distance, Minimising Travel Time and Continuous Cycling. Master’s Thesis, Utrecht University, Utrecht. https://studenttheses.uu.nl/handle/20.500.12932/1253
Dash, I., Abkowitz, M. and Philip, C. (2022) Factors Impacting Bike Crash Severity in Urban Areas. Journal of Safety Research , 83, 128-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2022.08.010
Kamran, S.M., Bilal, K.M., Jawed, I. and Muhammad, A. (2018) Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM) for Evaluation of Different Transportation Alternatives: A Case of Rawalpindi Bypass Pakistan. Journal of Sustainable Development of Tran s port and Logistics , 3, 38-54. https://doi.org/10.14254/jsdtl.2018.3-3.3
Fitch, D.T., Carlen, J. and Handy, S.L. (2022) What Makes Bicyclists Comfortable? Insights from a Visual Preference Survey of Casual and Prospective Bicyclists. Transportation Research Part A : Policy and Practice , 155, 434-449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2021.11.008
Twisk, D., Stelling, A., Van Gent, P., De Groot, J. and Vlakveld, W. (2021) Speed Characteristics of Speed Pedelecs, Pedelecs and Conventional Bicycles in Naturalistic Urban and Rural Traffic Conditions. Accident Analysis & Prevention , 150, Article ID: 105940. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2020.105940
Ijaz, M., Lan, L., Usman, S.M., Zahid, M. and Jamal, A. (2022) Investigation of Factors Influencing Motorcyclist Injury Severity Using Random Parameters Logit Model with Heterogeneity in Means and Variances. International Journal of Crashworthiness , 27, 1412-1422. https://doi.org/10.1080/13588265.2021.1959153
Ijaz, M., Liu, L., Almarhabi, Y., Jamal, A., Usman, S.M. and Zahid, M. (2022) Temporal Instability of Factors Affecting Injury Severity in Helmet-Wearing and Non-Helmet-Wearing Motorcycle Crashes: A Random Parameter Approach with Heterogeneity in Means and Variances. International Journal of Environmental R e search and Public Health , 19, Article 10526. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710526
Gutiérrez, M., Hurtubia, R. and De Dios Ortúzar, J. (2020) The Role of Habit and the Built Environment in the Willingness to Commute by Bicycle. Travel Behaviour and Society , 20, 62-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2020.02.007
Matković, V. (2022) AI-Based Cycling Analysis: Bike Type Detection and Predictive Maintenance. Master’s Thesis, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg.
Vanparijs, J., Panis, L.I., Meeusen, R. and De Geus, B. (2015) Exposure Measurement in Bicycle Safety Analysis: A Review of the Literature. Accident Analysis & Prevention , 84, 9-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.08.007
DiGioia, J., Watkins, K.E., Xu, Y., Rodgers, M. and Guensler, R. (2017) Safety Impacts of Bicycle Infrastructure: A Critical Review. Journal of Safety Research , 61, 105-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2017.02.015
Mayers, R.F. and Glover, T.D. (2020) Whose Lane Is It Anyway? The Experience of Cycling in a Mid-Sized City. Leisure Sciences , 42, 515-532. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2018.1518174
Pearson, L., Berkovic, D., Reeder, S., Gabbe, B. and Beck, B. (2023) Adults’ Self-Reported Barriers and Enablers to Riding a Bike for Transport: A Systematic Review. Transport Reviews , 43, 356-384. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2022.2113570
Pearson, L., Reeder, S., Gabbe, B. and Beck, B. (2024) Designing for the Interested But Concerned: A Qualitative Study of the Needs of Potential Bike Riders. Journal of Transport & Health , 35, Article ID: 101770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2024.101770
Imani, A.F., Miller, E.J. and Saxe, S. (2019) Cycle Accessibility and Level of Traffic Stress: A Case Study of Toronto. Journal of Transport Geography , 80, Article ID: 102496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2019.102496
Manaugh, K., Boisjoly, G. and El-Geneidy, A. (2017) Overcoming Barriers to Cycling: Understanding Frequency of Cycling in a University Setting and the Factors Preventing Commuters from Cycling on a Regular Basis. Transportation , 44, 871-884. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-016-9682-x
O’Hare, J.D.W. (2018) The Intention to Cycle: A Comparative Study of the Perceptions and Attitudes of Cyclists and Non-Cyclists. Master’s Thesis, Newcastle University, Newcastle.
Tafazzoli, R. (2023) Perceptions of the Bicycle as a Daily Mode of Transportation: A Study of Iowa State University. Master’s Thesis, Iowa State University, Ames.
Rashid, H., Shah, S. and Sheikh, U. (2023) Factors Influencing Motorists’ Injury Severities: An Empirical Assessment of Crashes in District Peshawar, Pakistan. Global Social Sciences Review , VIII, 211-224. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2023(VIII-II).20
Delmelle, E.M. and Delmelle, E.C. (2012) Exploring Spatio-Temporal Commuting Patterns in a University Environment. Transport Policy , 21, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2011.12.007
Moniruzzaman, M. and Farber, S. (2018) What Drives Sustainable Student Travel? Mode Choice Determinants in the Greater Toronto Area. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation , 12, 367-379. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2017.1377326