Intermodality
Intermodality
Trip Chaining
Last Mile: cycling to train stations is a great example of intermodal trip chaining (Photo: Atomic Taco on flickr)
Currently, only about one percent of all trips made in the U.S. are by bicycle.[1] In Canada, only about 2 percent of trips are pedal powered.[2] As a comparison, more than 30 percent of all trips are made by bicycle in many Dutch cities. In the German city of Muenster, the percentage of trips by bike approaches 40 percent.
Beyond infrastucture issues, these statistics have in part to do with differences in densities between North American and European cities and distances that need to be covered as well as the strong perception in North American that a given trip cannot be undertaken without a car.
Intermodality, the connection with other modes of transport, is what makes cycling even more practical and convenient if you want or need to travel greater distances within a metropolitan area or beyond.
Bus and coach operators, rail companies and airlines are increasingly permitting and enabling bicycles of all shapes and sizes to be brought on board and to travel through their networks.
Usually only few modifications to the vehicles and infrastructure are required, such as adding bicycle racks to buses. The increased passenger usage benefits both users and operators.
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References
1. http://www.cher.ubc.ca/News/MediaReleases/cycling_23-10-09.asp
2. http://www.ppolnews.com/?id=85281&keys=Bicycle-Europe-Bicycling-Dutch
Keywords
personal mobility, sustainable transportation, intermodal, multi-mode, multimodal, interconnection, trip chaining, last mile, door to door, public infrastructure, mass transit, conurbation, urban sprawl, bedroom communities, commuting, tourism, points of interest,
