Researching the role of life events in sustainable transport policy

Having a baby, moving house, the transition from education to work, or work to retirement.  These are all key life events that often coincide with changes in people’s transport and mobility practices. For example, people might switch from cycling to car-based commuting when their family gets bigger or when they move further away from their workplace. Understanding continuity and change in people’s mobility biographies can advance knowledge of current mobility patterns and how to either encourage or transform them. Individual mobility biographies also shape and reflect societal conditions. Linking individual mobility biographies to the histories of key transport policies and developments can thus cast new light on the causes and consequences of (un)sustainable mobility practices, most notably car dependency.

Dr Henrike Rau and Richard Manton (School of Political Science and Sociology and Whitaker Institute) have developed an innovative social survey method to map individuals’ mobility biographies and key mobility milestones, including passing the driving test and purchasing the first bike or car. Survey findings will then be linked to major developments in the modern Irish transport system, to identify possible connections between individuals’ biographies, policy and wider societal and infrastructural conditions. The research will also produce policy recommendations that focus on these milestones to encourage more sustainable mobility practices such as cycling, walking and public transport use.

The study of mobility biographies is the latest element of the successful CONSENSUS (Consumption, Environment and Sustainability) collaboration between NUI Galway and TCD, which has received more than €1.4m in EPA Ireland funding since 2009. It also builds on previous CONSENSUS mobility research led by Dr Henrike Rau on the potential role of teleworking and workplace travel plans in sustainable transport policy and practice.