Luxembourg city’s shifters

The global trend of rapid urbanisation, with over half of the world's population residing in urban areas, presents a pressing challenge in terms of urban mobility. This growth is, in part, driven by socioeconomic factors and intensifies the demand for urban mobility, resulting in a complex set of challenges for cities worldwide. European cities, in particular, face the dual challenge of meeting increased mobility demands while mitigating issues such as traffic congestion, road accidents, and environmental concerns like air and noise pollution. The transportation sector, responsible for nearly a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, stands as a significant contributor to these urban challenges. Within this context, this thesis uses Luxembourg City, the capital of Luxembourg, as a case study to explore the individual-specific travel behaviour factors that influence the shift from regular car usage to cycling. Despite a high bicycle ownership rate among city residents, substantial investments in cycling infrastructure, and most trips being within cycling distance, only 2% of the population regularly uses bicycles. The primary objective of this study is to delve deeper into travel behaviour changes, specifically the active modal shift towards cycling as the primary mode of transportation. It investigates the extent to which individual-specific travel behaviour factors, along with their interactions, incentivise a shift from cars to bicycles beyond the presence of adequate cycling infrastructure, which is often being prioritised to foster such a shift. This research adopts a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data. Data collection involved a web-based survey and interviews, and key findings reveal that the modal shift from cars to bicycles is more dynamic than binary, with individuals shifting between these modes, often favouring cycling as their primary transport choice. Moreover, this study underscores that individual-specific travel behaviour factors, in isolation and interaction, significantly influence the decision to shift towards cycling. Key determinants facilitating the modal shift include age, weekly travel distance, the interplay between age and travel distance, perceived time efficiency concerning speed and predictability, and the perceived feelings of pleasure and freedom associated with cycling. In summary, this study demonstrates that while there is room for improving Luxembourg's cycling infrastructure, individual-specific travel behaviour factors and their interactions play a prominent role in driving the modal shift towards cycling as a primary means of transportation in Luxembourg City. This underscores that the transition to bicycles as the primary mode of transport is not a straightforward binary choice but rather a complex interplay of various factors.