Cycling, modality styles and variation by urban environment

The aim for this study is to improve the understanding of cycling usage in relation to other modes of transport and the urban environment. Modality styles, i.e. the mode of transport or set of modes that a person habitually uses, are revealed by data on seven days transport inventory on modes and transport purposes from a representative sample of Danes (n=1,957). A combined factor and cluster analysis is uses to define five modality styles (education transport; public transport; retirement transport; leisure transport; and car-based transport). Modality styles categorized as education, public, and leisure transport are most widespread in large urban areas, while retirement and car-based transport is most abundant in small urban areas, reflecting both differences in demographics and in the urban environment. The highest mode share of cycling is in education and leisure transport modality styles. However, the results show that cycling is a part of all five modality styles, and hence, cycling in a Danish context is characterised by inter- and multimodality. Differences in type of cycling are present. Utility cycling for work and child transport is most widespread in public, leisure, and car-based transport modality styles, whereas, cycling for recreation and nature visits are common in leisure and retirement modality styles.