There is a growing interest in non-motorised modes of transport, due in large part to concerns over the negative side effects of car usage. The increased levels of traffic have already resulted in many cities suffering from serious problems in the areas of safety, congestion and pollution. Some of these problems could be solved if the number of short car journeys were reduced and replaced by walking. Many of our travel routines are influenced by a number of factors such as socio-economic, demographic, together with needs and attitudes. An important step in the direction of developing general concepts for the implementation of supportive measures for walking would therefore be to collect enough background information about the traveller him/herself. The results from different studies have found that in general people's attitudes are very positive about walking if the conditions are right. One important factor is distance; others are comfort, traffic, perception of safety, security and aesthetics. The conclusion is therefore that in order to encourage people to walk, comprehensive programs are needed, including a range of different approaches, from physical implementation, new business and social structures to educational programs. For the covering abstract see ITRD E122795.
Abstract