The social practice and regulation of cycling as ‘A Boy’s Thing’ in Irish secondary schools

Despite low levels of cycling to secondary education across the adolescent population in Ireland, there is, in addition, a pronounced inequality in rates of ridership between teenage girls and boys, with nearly 10 times as many boys cycling to school compared to girls. In light of this disparity, the Green-Schools #andshecycles campaign was created to explore and address the cycling gender gap among second-level students. Emerging from this campaign, this paper details qualitative research exploring this gender gap, drawing on focus groups with teenage girls and boys across Ireland. Using grounded theory methodology, a theory of cycling as 'A Boy's Thing' was generated. This theory makes sense of how cycling as a social practice is continually enacted, reproduced and regulated as a practice of and for boys among Irish adolescents, through related practices of exemplifying masculinity, incompatible femininity and processes of gender regulation. It has significant implications in considering the effects of gender as a configuration of social practice (Connell, 2005) or performance (Butler, 1990) on cycling, and how cycling is a uniquely gendered practice/performance in particular contexts. In light of this theoretical interpretation, two approaches for tackling the Irish second-level cycling gender gap are provided: first, promoting cycling among teenage girls by making cycling more compatible with dominant practices of femininity; second, promoting cycling among teenage girls by publicly rejecting and subverting dominant practices of femininity and processes of gender regulation relating to cycling in present day Ireland. 

Towards an Intersectional Perspective in Cycling

In recent years, concerns about climate change have elevated cycling on urban policy agendas worldwide. The rapid implementation of temporary cycling infrastructure in cities across the globe during the Covid-19 pandemic has further elevated the importance of cycling in facilitating a green and just recovery. However, if cycling is to be a key part of a green and just recovery for cities, then an intersectional perspective is needed to ensure that cycling can be an equitable and inclusive mode of transport. An intersectional perspective acknowledges that there are multiple systems of oppression, which interact in complex ways to compound inequalities and reinforce certain power dynamics. Structural and spatial inequalities contour urban mobility, as evidenced by well-documented gender, racial and socioeconomic disparities in cycling. This paper provides an overview of gender and other inequalities in urban cycling and makes the case for adopting an intersectional perspective to cycling policies and infrastructures, so that cycling in cities can be more diverse, equitable and inclusive.

Where are the low-hanging fruits? Strategic mapping of potential consumers of shared e-mobility to help decarbonise mobility of our cities.

In marketing research, the concept of ‘low-hanging fruits’ refers to those consumers who are easiest to attract to a business. Focusing efforts on this group maximizes the effectiveness of a marketing campaign. In mobility planning, this concept could be adopted by city planners more often to achieve sustainability goals.Imagine that a start-up just launched a new model of shared e-scooter in a busy town like Rotterdam. It is natural to expect that, for the sake of financial sustainability, a significant part of the revenue should come from neighbourhoods that cluster factors of success for potential usage (e.g. commercial activities, jobs, good infrastructure). However, if shared e-mobility is meant to cause significant and positive impact on sustainability, helping cities achieve their goals, further structural changes in travel habits are certainly necessary. In short, part of the ‘unnecessary’ car trips should be more often replaced by more sustainable modes, like shared e-mobility. ‘Unnecessary’ is interpreted in this study as a car trip that has a similar profile (e.g. length, travel time, socioeconomics) of a shared e-mobility trip, and therefore could be ‘avoided’ or ‘replaced’ by more sustainable alternatives. The individuals making those trips are called ‘low-hanging fruits’, but are ‘not yet consuming the product’. How to map low-hanging fruits? In this study, an approach is proposed to help providers and cities strategically map them. The approach is operationalised in the context of the Netherlands, a country where shared e-mobility is spreading quickly. The approach can be divided in 3 major phases: 1) Characterising a typical ‘avoidable’ car trip in the context of a given population (city, region, country), through the investigation of how current users of shared mobility travel (e.g. trip distance, duration) and their characteristics (e.g. age, gender, income); 2) Mapping where the avoidable car trips are generated, since countries like the Netherlands keep their Household Travel Surveys up to date so that city planners can use that information to extract insights of travel habits (desire lines, purpose, mode, etc); 3) Labelling locations in regard to their likelihood of having more or less low-hanging fruits, through the application of unsupervised learning (k-means) to find probable clusters of low-hanging fruits. In order to achieve (1), we used an anonymous, ‘privately acquired’ shared mobility OD travel matrix produced in 2020 by a third party mobility company. This OD refers to trips done by e-scooter users of Rotterdam during the summer of 2020. For (2), we explored the latest Dutch Household Travel Survey (2020) and combined it with (1). This type of survey provided annual information about daily travel patterns of more than 60.000 people. The Dutch HTS can also be expanded to mitigate negative impacts of data collection biases and be a reasonable representation of how the whole population travels on a daily basis. In (3), we combined insights extracted from (2) with Census information to perform the unsupervised classification of locations. We propose and operationalise a pragmatic approach to help cities and mobility providers identify potential users of shared mobility. If shared mobility could seduce more low-hanging fruits, significant environmental impacts from modal shift could be achieved. Some use cases of this exercise can be applied to:(i) size potential market for expansions (e.g. deployment of vehicles or installation of facilities); (ii) size potential impacts of modal shift on city-wide Co2 emissions; (iii) design subsidies that encourage providers to deploy assets in certain areas; (iv) change fees depending on the potential to attract former private vehicle users; (v) investigate reasons behind the existence of avoidable car trips. 

An Initial Agent-Based Model for E-scooter Accommodation into Existing Urban Streetscapes

New forms of mobility reshape the transportation landscape, changing movement for both their users and others in the environment. The transition period during which novel forms of travel are being explored can be a challenging time while the use of spaces must be renegotiated. E-scooters, which have recently been more widely introduced to the UK, are experiencing such a moment as riders, planners, and other users of the streetscape are determining what role this technology will play in communities. The data gaps surrounding e-scooters can make this an especially difficult question for planners because of the cost of gathering relevant observational data, much of which is held under private company ownership. In light of this, this work presents an agent-based model developed to examine the integration of e-scooters into existing streetscapes. Agent-based models explore phenomena through focusing on individual behaviour and rules which in turn gives rise to emergent large scale patterns. These patterns can be dissected and interrogated with a variety of tools, allowing us to tease out individual as well as group experiences of different scenarios. An agent-based approach allows us to capture the individual behaviours of e-scooter users and those of cyclists, drivers of variously sized vehicles, pedestrians, and others present in the environment. By focusing on the interactions of these various street users, we can explore how different approaches to e-scooter integration may fare relative to varying street configurations. Their decision frameworks are informed by observational studies of e-scooter users in order to augment the available data. We discuss the current state of understanding e-scooter behaviour and the potential modelling applications, present an initial behavioural framework of e-scooter decision making and inter-modal interactions, and highlight some preliminary results examining the differences between e-scooters operating on roads versus shared segregated cycle lanes. The work concludes with a case study comparing two modelled scenarios, one including a segregated cycle lane and one without. Drawing upon metrics such as the route segmentation/ cut-off rate and average travel comfort, we can more precisely explore how new forms of mobility will influence different kinds of street users in order to better understand the trade-offs associated with different paths forward.

E-micromobilities and their role in improving air quality and public health: A roundtable discussion in Leeds

BackgroundElectric micromobility vehicles such as e-bikes ande-scooters are increasing in popularity. E-bikes, in particular, represent a significantopportunity for promoting more active forms of travel, as they enable a widerrange of people to access individual mobility, whilst also having many of thehealth benefits associated with non-power assisted cycling. Beyond the fitnessbenefits, e-micromobilities offer community level benefits including reduced roadcongestion and reduced noise and air pollution. As a city, Leeds has committed to achieving net zero by 2030. In order to achieve that ambition, there is aneed for rapid, large-scale action, with increased active travel and e-micromobility use key to that shift. Despite their benefits, many questions relating to the use and growth of e-micromobilites remain unanswered. For instance, what infrastructurewould be needed? Should regulations be developed and applied? Will drivers require insurance, licencing or road tax? What impact will e-micromobilities have on transport inequalities? How will an increase in use of e-micromobilityvehicles impact existing travel behaviours? Exploring these questions at alocal and national level will be key to planning for the potential impacts,both positive and negative, that new powered modes of travel will have onstreets.MethodTo explore the questions posed above, a roundtablediscussion will be hosted in Leeds. Leeds is a city in the north of Englandthat has committed to achieving net zero by 2030. The roundtable will include adiverse sample of people from across the city, including policy makers, travelplanners, town planners, members of the public, and academics working in activetravel and micromobility research. To develop the questions asked, a literature reviewwill be conducted. The questions will be shared with key stakeholders tocomment on and finalise. The final list of questions will be shared with registeredparticipants ahead of the roundtable. During the roundtable, there will be timeprovided for open ended discussions about the key issues highlighted. All participants will be invited via email, with aninformation sheet provided to them. All participants will be asked to provideconsent before taking part and will be able to withdraw at any point up untildata analysis. Depending on the availability of participants 1 to 3 roundtableswill be hosted, each lasting up to 60 minutes. The roundtable will befacilitated to ensure all questions are explored and that everyone has a voice.The facilitator will act objectively. The discussion will be recorded andtranscripts produced. The transcripts will be thematically analysed to identifykey themes discussed.Possible outcomesA report will be produced from the roundtablediscussions. The report will be shared with key stakeholders across the cityand wider region. Based on the discussions, recommendations for the city willbe developed. The report and recommendations could be used to facilitatefurther discussion and inform future research.

Exploring perceptions of e-micromobility amongst university staff and students at three universities in Leeds

Background Micromobilities encompass active modes of travel such as walking and cycling alongside the use of lightweight vehicles that typically travel at speeds below 25km/hr such as electric scooters, cargo bikes and electric pedal assisted bicycles. Micromobility vehicles are increasing in popularity with the worldwide e-bike industry currently standing at £89.31 million with estimates that it will rise to £440.50 million by 2026. In England, most journeys taken are short, with 2018 data indicating that 25% of trips were under 1 mile, and 68% are under 5 miles. At present the majority of such journeys are completed using private cars. However, such journeys could be completed on foot, bike or scooter.  Whilst power assisted micromobility modes constitute active travel to a lesser (e-scooters) or greater (e-bikes) extent, alongside other active modes of travel, they can help to reduce private car use thereby improving traffic congestion, reducing pollution and creating healthier populations.Leeds has committed to achieving net-zero by 2030. Reducing private car use, through promoting micromobilities can help to reach such goals. But questions remain about how power assisted micromobility vehicles might fit into current transport networks, what role they may play in promoting or increasing transport inequalities and how they are perceived by communities in terms of their sustainability, affordability, safety and accessibility.  Leeds has three large universities with thousands of staff and over 200,000 students living in and around the city. Many people within this population commute to Leeds to study or work or commute between campuses in the city during the day. Many of these short trips are made using private cars but could be completed using active modes of travel including micromobility vehicles. The student and staff population is diverse, but accessible via university email and social media networks, and as such provides a good opportunity to explore perceptions relating to e-micromobility in the city. Objective and methods The aim of this study will be to explore perceptions of e-micromobility amongst university staff and students in three institutions across Leeds.To explore this objective, a survey and interviews will be conducted. Questions will be produced following a review of the existing literature relating to perceptions of micromobilities. The questions will then be reviewed by a panel made up of Leeds city council policy makers, transport planners, active travel and micromobility researchers, and a sample of students and staff from Leeds university.  The questions will then be used to develop an online survey which will be shared with Leeds university staff and students via email networks and social media. A paper version of the survey will also be available for any staff or students that are unable to access the online version. Following analysis of the survey, up to 10 interviews will be conducted with a diverse sample of staff and students to explore key themes that emerged in the surveys. Potential outcomes and implications The findings of this study will be summarised into a report that can be shared with researchers and decision makers in order to inform future policy relating to e-micromobility. The findings can also be shared with the institutions involved in the data collection in order to help guide their actions relating to active travel and e-micromobility, which could inform and support the cities ambition to achieve net zero by 2030.

“You can go out 14 miles away with the knowledge that you’ve got the battery to help you back if you need it!” Narratives of ranging behaviour and wellbeing in diaries of e-bike trial participants.

Increasing use of electric power assisted bikes (‘e-bikes’) could play a significant part in expanding the variety of people participating in cycling and contribute to replacing a greater range of journeys that are currently made by car. E-bike use is growing across the Europe and the UK government has committed to establishing a national e-bike support programme (DfT, 2020). This may have a significant impact on the requirements for planning and designing cycle infrastructure. Authorities will need to consider where e-bikes fit within wider policies to promote zero-emission cities. This paper draws on data from a large study on cycling and wellbeing - XXXXXX. Thirty-eight participants aged 50 and over, returning to cycling after a hiatus, were asked to keep a ‘Diary of Cycling Experience’ (DoCE) to record how their experiences of using an e-bike unfolded during an eight-week trial period. Standard tests pre and post revealed that e-bikes, through enabling increased physical activity and engagement with the outdoor environment, can provide positive benefits to cognitive function and wellbeing as reported in XXXXXX (XXXX). The paper expands these findings, drawing specifically on the qualitative component, namely the written and visual material provided in participant diaries to reveal the embodied nature of e-biking, and in particular, the opportunity it provided for longer distance travel, (re)discovery of spaces and places, and human flourishing. It argues for a reappraisal of what constitutes ‘active’ travel and what this might mean for the emerging practice of e-biking in relation to longer distance cycling, for different purposes and in different contexts. This is particularly pertinent in the context of an ageing society, the push towards zero-emission cities and the need to ensure socially inclusive mobility particularly in the time of Covid.Keywords: e-bikes; diary approach; ageing; wellbeing; social inclusion.

Distance, Time, Speed & Energy: A socio-political analysis of technologies of longer distance cycling

The basic laws of motion governing cycling are wellunderstood. Consideration of the variables of energy use in cycle travel areless frequent. The potentials of both aerodynamically efficient cycle designand the augmentation of human power with e-motors dramatically reconfigure whatwe understand as a cycle and as cycling. The prospect of increasing travel distance in regularjourneying, coupled with the logical application of augmentation (aerodynamicand/ or power), suggest a need to re-evaluate some of the ground expectationsapplied in design and planning for cycle travel if the cycles being designedfor do not fit the existing expectations of what a cycle is and how itperforms. Current e-bike performance is limited principally bynormative legislative intervention, not by the intrinsic potential of thetechnologies. Existing decisions as to what an e-bike can (and should) be, areshaped by the performance expectations of late 19th and early 20thcentury bicycle designs. Shaping modal shift for longer trips returns us tothink about the place of cycling travel time as a function of the relationshipbetween distance and speed. Increased speed allows for greater distance withouttime penalty. However, speed is itself governed by available energy, coupledwith the efficiency of use of that energy. Without entirely substituting humanpower, E-motors allow us to augment the human power available in differentways; Changes in cycle design (as us, for example, in velomobiles) allow us toincrease the efficiency of use of available power in overcoming resistance tomovementIdentifying the assemblage of cycle/cyclist as avariable, rather than a determinate object to be accommodated, raises difficultquestions for cycling provision, especially in relation to longer distancetravel.This paper takes an approach rooted in Actor NetworkTheory and developed through social practice analysis to explore theinteractions of people machines and spaces for longer distance travel. It paysparticular attention to the capacities and affordances of each of theseelements, especially in their interaction. Drawing on the capacities of already existingtechnologies of cycling and e-cycling, the paper focuses on the socialimplications of potentially problematic interactions. It argues that newdecisions will need to be made in regard to speed and distance in cycle traveland that the forging of regulations consequent on those fundamentals  will substantially shape the potentials andpossibilities of modal shift for longer distance cycle travel. What emerges isa politics of longer distance cycle, not simply a set of technical barriers andproblems.

Book review: C. Popan (2019). Bicycle Utopias Imagining Fast and Slow Cycling Futures. Routledge.

Cosmin’s book ‘Bicycle Utopias:Imagining Fast and Slow Cycling Futures’ invites us to imagine a different world wherepredominantly bikes are used (at least) for short-distance travel within citiesand claims that the domination of cars is unsustainable and certainly notinevitable.  It also discusses the meritsof slow cycling and warns that the needs for speed and eternal economic growth arenot sustainable. He uses utopia as one of the methods to examine our commonlyheld beliefs and practices, along with auto-ethnography and other methods. Thisbook will certainly make the reader think, question their practices andpriorities, realize that today’s actions can shape the future, and that acar-centric world is not sustainable. A city dominated by slow cycling couldencourage the development of the local economy and small coops for cyclerepairs, deliveries, and generally helps create a virtuous cycle ofsustainable, sociable and healthy living.  

Longer distance cycling for interspecies mobility justice in Canada

This article explores how longer distance cycling can advance interspecies mobility justice, a theory of (im)mobilities and justice that includes other-than-human persons and habitats as worthy of our positive moral obligations. I argue that longer distance cycling can advance interspecies mobility justice by promoting socially inclusive and ecologically good cycling practices that redress the active travel poverty of marginalized and colonized populations, while replacing rather than augmenting auto roads with active travel routes that help humans respect other species. The article theorizes longer distance cycling not as some specific number of kilometres, but rather as the social production of cycling space across gentrified central cities, struggling inner suburbs, outer exurbs and rural countrysides. To explore this argument my analysis focuses on Canada, an extreme context for longer distance cycling. I offer a comparison of two case studies, situated on the country’s west and east coasts, Vancouver, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia, drawing on an ongoing ethnographic study of cycling practices and politics in Canada.