Bicycle transport on public transport in Switzerland: Data basis for future traffic modelling

Abstract

This MAS thesis sets out to gather information on the phenomenon of combining cycling and public transport in Switzerland. The aim is to build a solid data basis on the state of this combined mode. The characteristics of the demand and supply are explored, by analysing the existing empirical data and deriving estimations. The factors influencing mode choice for bike on board, are retrieved from the literature body and compared with the results of the conducted survey focused on the Swiss-specific context. To assess the presumed travel time savings arising from the combined mode, a transport simulation with several scenarios investigates these potentials. The demand for bike on board is estimated between 1.5 Mio. - 1.7 Mio. trips per year, which represents 0.3% - 0.8% of the total passenger kilometres on public transport in Switzerland. The supply capacity for bike on board per passenger, ranges from 1.8% on international, 3.2% on national, to 6.1% on regional trains. In regional buses a supply of 10% - 30% is reached. The potential travel time savings compared to a scenario where public transport is only combined with walking, averages between 7% - 13%, which corresponds 6 - 12 minutes for each trip. For the case of Switzerland nine mode choice factors are found, which have not been covered in the literature up to now, as: Differing start and end points of the cycling leg, the emotional tension caused by other passengers when allocating the scarce space in public transport vehicles, and the reservation system for bike on board. The results from this thesis contribute insights for future transport simulations and analysis on the bike on board mode. The thesis gives a detailed overview of the specific situation in Switzerland, which can be compared to other cases.