Research into student travel behavior. Are you participating?

Research 'Student Mobility in Brainport Region'

How do you travel to your training? Why do you choose the car, public transport or bicycle? The research into student mobility in the Brainport region started on Tuesday, October 10, 'Sustainability Day'. A unique collaboration between Brainport Bereikbaar, Fontys, Summa and TU/e to work together for a more sustainable region. Kicked off with a fantastic bicycle caravan!

Insight into student travel behavior

It is not self-evident that students go to training by public transport or bicycle. We see that a large number of people still take the car. With this research we want to gain insight into current travel behavior, underlying motivations and motives. For example, why do students who live 'within cycling distance' of the course come by car? Do they travel the same way all year round, or does that sometimes change? We expect to receive an answer to this and more in the coming weeks.

400 students in living lab

We focus on students who live or are doing an internship within 15 km of the course and travel there by car. The research opts for an experimental design within a living lab, in which the target group is actively involved. The travel behavior of 400 students to their educational institution is examined through two interventions. One intervention focuses on making an e-bike available to students for 2 months, which they can use free of charge. In the second intervention, students receive a travel budget of 300 euros that they can spend in two months. All students keep a weekly logbook and receive credits for this. Additional credits can also be earned during the research by completing additional questionnaires. At the end of the research, students can hand in the credits they have earned for an additional reward.

Unique collaboration kicked off with bicycle caravan

What makes the research so special is that three large educational institutions (Fontys, Summa and TU/e) and Brainport Bereikbaar are joining forces to contribute to a more sustainable region. This will be further emphasized during the appropriate opening on October 10. A sustainable bicycle caravan of students, under the guidance of researcher Wimco Veerman (Fontys – professorship – researcher) and Elle van den Hurk (Fontys – professorship – support) traveled to the various research partners during this kick-off. Each partner drew a puzzle piece and at the end of the day these puzzle pieces were put together as a symbolic start to the research. This took place at Summa College.

There are still places in the research group. You can register via: registration link. The interventions will take place in the coming months, after which the advice will be presented in the first quarter of 2024. To be continued!