Attitudes and Preferences of University Student Bicyclists: The Tale of Two Greek Cities

Recently, the share of bicycles among transportation modes has been rising. This is also the case in university campuses that have seen an increase of bicycling as a transport mode. Transportation authorities globally encourage bicycling as a way for pollution reduction and alleviation of traffic congestion. However, lack of bicycle facilities could significantly hinder increase in bicycling levels. This study used in-person surveys to evaluate the attitudes and desires of bicyclists in two university campuses in Greece: Thessaloniki and Volos. The goal of the survey was to identify barriers to bicycling in both cities and pinpoint facility aspects that could be improved. Descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing were utilized in the analysis of the survey data to determine the level of agreement among participant responses and document their attitudes and preferences. Lack of bicycling facilities was the main impediment that respondents in both cities identified: a finding that agrees with prior research. In addition, the aggressive behavior of car drivers is considered an important obstacle in both cities. The survey findings support to the notion that bicyclists everywhere have similar attitudes about what the types of improvements required for increasing bicycling and enhancing their experiences. In addition, local conditions and practices have an impact on the relevance of specific issues.