1158 | 761 | Assessing the Impact of Active Transportation Infrastructure on Travel Patterns in Barcelona | Jaime Orrego-Oñate, Marta-Beatriz Fernández Núñez, Oriol Marquet
This study aims to investigate the impact of new active transportation infrastructure on changes in aggregated mode share in Barcelona. Shifting from motorized travel to active transportation has become a priority in public policy due to the positive externalities associated with it. Therefore, governments are adopting different interventions to promote and encourage this shift. However, there is still no consensus on how to quantify the benefits of this type of investment (Aldred, 2019)._x000D_
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One of the main challenges in characterizing this association is the complexity of measuring infrastructure changes and changes in mobility patterns. For example, pedestrian infrastructure investment is slow and often made at smaller scales, making it difficult to quantify with common measuring tools like household travel surveys. Additionally, these environmental changes tend to be accompanied by other changes in the environment, such as an increase in activity density, making it difficult to isolate their effects._x000D_
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In this context, the case of Barcelona is of particular interest, as changes in activity density over time tend to be minor due to the highly consolidated built environment. Additionally, the current municipal government has been investing in city-scale active mobility infrastructure for the past years. Therefore, this research will examine if all these changes in active mobility infrastructure have any effect on changes in travel patterns while activity density remains relatively unchanged._x000D_
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To test these changes, the study will use the household travel survey from Barcelona, which is conducted every year and contrasting it with environmental data. The analysis will help us understand if infrastructure changes cause a change in travel patterns and quantify the magnitude of these changes. The results of this study could provide valuable insights into the design and implementation of effective policies to promote sustainable transportation modes._x000D_
Jaime Orrego-Oñate, Marta-Beatriz Fernández Núñez, Oriol Marquet
Department of Geography, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
ID Abstract: 761