With the increased scientific evidence for climate change and political interest in climate change adaptation and mitigation, weather and climate change have become important issues in transport planning and travel behavioural research. Research initially focussed predominantly on the effects of weather extremes on transport infrastructures. Recently, various scholars have investigated the effects of daily weather conditions on individual travel behaviours, including the use of transport modes. Many recent studies link objectively measured weather conditions to existing or self-gathered travel behaviour data and generally conclude that higher – but not too high – air temperatures enhance walking and cycling over the use of motorised transport modes, whereas precipitation sum and wind speed have opposite effects. In contrast, we know very little about how weather is perceived during travel, how it affects our emotions, and via which mechanisms it affects transport mode choices. Addressing these research gaps is crucial (1) to better understand the effects of weather and changing climate conditions on travel behaviour, (2) to assess its impact on daily emotional wellbeing during travel, and (3) to expand climate-sensitive urban planning to places and infrastructures of (active) mobility. Existing knowledge on the experience of weather and its effects on emotions can be found mostly outside, and disconnected from, the field of transport studies. Exceptions are a Dutch study on transport mode choices in relation to weather, outdoor weather perceptions and place valuations, and a Portuguese study investigating bus travel experiences in relation to (amongst other factors) subjective indoor thermal comfort, both of which use structural equation modelling. To deeper investigate these subjectivities, this paper draws on biometeorological insights into the relationships and discrepancies between objectively measured and subjectively perceived weather conditions in terms of thermal and mechanical comfort, and psychological insights into the relationship between weather, moods and emotions. The authors integrate these insights, both theoretically and empirically into the context of travel behaviour, hereby addressing recent calls for a more interdisciplinary approach of this subject. It is their aim to investigate how and to what extent weather conditions affect transport mode choices, outdoor thermal perceptions and emotional travel experiences. Hereto, purposely-designed Greater Rotterdam (Netherlands) travel diary data (n = 945) – including ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of outdoor thermal perceptions and emotions (i.e. happiness, irritation, fear and tiredness) – are connected to local urban form and hourly meteorological data and analysed in structural equation models. This paper first summarizes the main findings from the literature on the effects of weather on transport modes, outdoor thermal comfort, and emotions and moods. Second, it introduces the study area, dataset and modelling framework. Third, it describes and explains the main findings in relation to the literature. Finally, it concludes with a discussion of the main findings and its policy and research implications. (Author/publisher)
Abstract