Household decision-making for everyday travel: a case study of walking and cycling in Lancaster (UK)

Increased walking and cycling for short journeys in urban areas has many obvious advantages yet so far gains from the promotion of more sustainable travel of this type are mostly small. This paper reports on a large research project which uses a mixed method approach to explore attitudes to and perceptions of walking and cycling, and which examines the process of household decision-making for everyday travel and the constraints that this imposes. Using survey, interview and ethnographic data it is argued that many people hold ambiguous and sometimes contradictory views of walking and cycling as effective means of everyday travel, that what they do rarely matches precisely what they believe, and that the complexity and contingency associated with everyday travel for many households is a major barrier to the use of more sustainable travel modes. It is suggested that better understanding of these processes could help to inform both future transport policy and the promotion of walking and cycling for short trips in urban areas.     

Urban taxis and air pollution: a case study in Harbin, China

Taxis share a high proportion of urban traffic volume and contribute a large proportion to urban air pollution. This paper addressees this context by exploring urban taxi air pollution emissions and possible reduction countermeasures. Based on a survey of Harbin taxis, we have developed different urban taxi pollution emissions models and considered taxi passenger occupancy and taxi average vacant ratio. To reduce taxi air pollution emission, this paper sets a reduction goal and puts forward three kinds of transport management policies. These are taxi market regulation, introduction of electric and Liquefied Petroleum Gas powered vehicles, and the introduction of dial-a-ride services. The paper provides recommendations for managing urban taxi development using these strategies.     

The role of road safety in a sustainable urban mobility: An econometric assessment of the Spanish NUTS-3 case

There has been a structural change in mobility in major Spanish cities in recent decades, with a switch to the pattern followed in other countries in the area. A shift has taken place from a traditional Mediterranean model to a North American city stereotype, with uncontrolled motorization and major implications for public health. This article specifically analyzes negative road safety-related externalities that result from this process, given that the trend seems to show a steady decline in road safety accidents on urban roads in Spain, with major differences among NUTS-3 provinces. The objective is to evaluate the factors that empirically explain these differences for the 2003–2013 period using a panel data analysis. Results show that a key role is played by urban development variables, such as population density and improvements in health services, with advances linked to more accessible and sustainable urban transportation, such as the Smart City concept. Not only does this article close a gap in the literature, but the findings can also serve as a practical guide for the development and implementation of urban mobility and road safety plans, and reveals the special needs of the most vulnerable groups.     

Transport policy and the provision of mobility options in an aging society: a case study of Ontario,Canada

This paper examines the provision of mobility options being one of the important policy areas vital to addressing transportation accessibility of the elderly. A provincial analysis, taking the case of the Province of Ontario in Canada, is warranted given that the country’s highly decentralized system puts provincial policies at the forefront in meeting this challenge. The paper evaluates the important progress made in this policy area and stressed the need to go beyond the traditional policy focus on the less able-bodied elderly and consider the increased heterogeneity of the elderly population with respect to lifestyle, preferences, resources, health and physical abilities. While significant efforts have been made, a more explicit recognition of population aging in Ontario’s transport policy motivation that could strongly influence transport strategies and investments attuned to the mobility concerns in an aging society remains to be seen. The paper summarizes the general concerns in the literature, policy developments, and the challenges in crafting solutions in terms of policy and research for Ontario and other regions with similar institutional setup.     

A case study in the evaluation of geotourism potential through geographic information systems: application in a geology-rich island tourism hotspot

The significant growth in geotourism across all continents over the past two decades has created a strong demand for more creative, robust and systematic approaches to assessing the geotourism potential of natural areas, for identifying suitable sites of geological interest and providing comprehensive frameworks for management. We investigate a range of spatial data-sets using remote sensing analysis tools as well as geographic information systems (GIS) to complement field-derived data and allow for comprehensive analysis of combined data-sets. Such an approach allowed the creation of a spatial geological data base which can be assessed against access and management criteria, including environmental factors and risks. We used the relatively data-rich example of Rottnest Island in the south-west region of Western Australia to demonstrate the opportunities for future geotourism project development.     

The impact of daily tour service quality on tourist satisfaction and behavioural intentions in an island context: a study on tours to Isla de la Plata,Ecuador

ABSTRACT

This study assesses the impact of daily tour service quality on tourist satisfaction and behavioural intentions in an island context. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the analysis of data collected from 195 participating in a daily tour to Isla de la Plata (Ecuador) showed that all the services examined (transportation by boat, food and beverage, tourist guide and visits) had a significant direct impact on tour satisfaction, having the transportation the highest impact. Moreover, the indirect effect of the daily tours services on behavioural intentions mediated by the satisfaction with the tour was also significant.