Citation

Flynn BS, Dana GS, Sears J, Aultman-Hall L. Prev. Med. 2012; 54(2): 122-124.

Affiliation

Office of Health Promotion Research, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Given Courtyard Building N302, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.11.002

PMID

22155159

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Quantify the impact of weather conditions on individual decisions to commute to work by bicycle among a diverse panel of adults who commute ≥2miles each way. METHOD: Working adults (n=163) in a northern U.S. state reported transportation mode for four seven-day periods in 2009-2010 that maximized seasonal weather variations. Personal characteristics, trip to work distances, and commuting mode data were linked to location- and time-specific weather data and daylight hours. Analyses focused on effect of weather conditions on reports of commuting by bicycle. RESULTS: Participants were diverse in age, gender and bicycle use, but were relatively well-educated; they traveled to work by bicycle on 34.5% of the logged commuting days. Modeling indicated that the likelihood of bicycle commuting increased in the absence of rain (odds ratio=1.91; 95% confidence interval 1.42, 2.57) and with higher temperatures (1.03; 1.02, 1.04), and decreased with snow (0.90; 0.84, 0.98) and wind (0.95; 0.92, 0.97). Independent effects also were found for bicycle commuting distance, gender, and age, but not for daylight hours. CONCLUSION: Precipitation, temperature, wind and snow conditions had significant and substantial independent effects on the odds of travel to work by bicycle among a diverse panel of adult bicycle commuters.

Language: en