Travel Mode Preferences and the Role of Cycling in Urban Mobility: A Survey-Based Study

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Yentimur M. F., Kütük T.

8th International Conference on Engineering and Applied Natural Sciences, Konya, Turkey, 25 - 26 July 2026, pp.207-213, (Full Text)

• Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
• City: Konya
• Country: Turkey
• Page Numbers: pp.207-213
• Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
• Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Sustainable urban mobility requires practical alternatives to private motorized travel, yet cycling remains marginal in many small and medium-sized cities where infrastructure, safety perceptions, climate, and topography constrain everyday use. This study examines travel mode preferences and the role of cycling in Rize, Türkiye, through an exploratory, cross-sectional, descriptive case study. A 24-question questionnaire was administered through Google Forms to 202 respondents. Reported frequencies and percentages were used to describe participant characteristics, travel behavior, bicycle ownership and use, crash experience, infrastructure perceptions, weather and topography, and willingness to shift modes. Public transport was the dominant stated urban mode (51%), followed by private cars (23%) and walking (22%); only 2% selected cycling. Seventy-eight percent reported not owning a bicycle, 56% never cycled, and only 15% regarded the bicycle primarily as a transport mode. Eighty-five percent considered existing bicycle paths and parking inadequate, while 57% stated that they would switch to cycling if a connected network serving the city were provided. Very low cycling in cold and rainy weather was reported by 79% of participants. The findings suggest a substantial gap between current bicycle use and conditional willingness to cycle. A connected, safe network supported by secure parking, public-transport integration, and context-sensitive consideration of rainfall and gradients may improve cycling's practical viability.