Overview
This study explores travel behaviours of today's young adults/students, the risk of transportation-related social exclusion and consequently socially unsustainable travel behaviour.
Study Purpose
The purpose of this study is to provide important insights for transportation planning and policy on the importance of balancing environmental and social dimensions of travelling while promoting the use of sustainable travel modes.
Methods
- Data collected through the StudentMoveTO research program was used in this study.
- Post-secondary students from four community colleges and six universities participated in the StudentMoveTO transportation survey in fall 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic restricted outdoor mobility. .
Key Findings
- Post-secondary students belonging to generations Y and Z largely demonstrate environmentally sustainable travel behaviour as majority of them generally use public transit, walk and cycle for their daily transportation needs.
- Transit Dependent students, who constituted more than a third of our sample, spent more time reaching an activity and participated in significantly fewer activities than Automobile Dependent students.
- For young adults who primarily use public transit for their daily activities, not being able to participate fully in the social and economic activities can be harmful to their wellbeing, and also be a barrier to broader economic and social prosperity of a region.
- The findings suggest that integrated transportation and land use planning that is focused on developing dense and walkable neighborhoods with various opportunities and improved public transit is likely beneficial for broader social sustainability, above and beyond their contribution to environmental sustainability.