Why don’t more women cycle? An analysis of female and male commuter cycling mode-share in England and Wales

Publication date: Available online 6 August 2018Source: Journal of Transport & HealthAuthor(s): Nick Grudgings, Alex Hagen-Zanker, Susan Hughes, Birgitta Gatersleben, Marc Woodall, Will BryansAbstractWomen are under-represented in commuter cycling in England and Wales. Consequently, women miss out on the health benefits of active commuting over distances where walking is less practical. Similarly, where cycling could replace motorised forms of transport, society is missing out on the wider health benefits associated with reductions in air pollution, road noise and social severance. This paper uses aggregate (ecological) models to investigate the reasons behind the gender gap in cycling. The relative attractiveness of cycling in different areas is described using a set of 17 determinants of commuter cycling mode share: distance, population density, cycle paths, cycle lanes, traffic density, hilliness, temperature, sun, rain, wind, wealth, lower social status, children, green votes, bicycle performance, traffic risk and parking costs. The correlation between these determinants and census-recorded cycling mode share is examined in logit models for commuters who work 2–5 km from home. The models explain a large share of the variation in cycling levels. There are small but significant differences in the importance of individual determinants between men and women. However, the gender gap is largely explained by a differentiated response to the relative attractiveness of an area...
Source: Journal of Transport and Health - Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research