Cycling to work is uncommon in most areas of the US, but relatively common in a particular set of metros and neighbourhoods. Explanations for this spatial heterogeneity often focus on differences in local geography, with some areas being allegedly more suitable for cycling. Tyndall estimates the role of topography and climate in determining the share of a metro’s workers who cycle to work and the probability a particular worker chooses to cycle, and combines a US wide data set of commute flows with detailed elevation and climate data. Tyndall finds that climate and topography play essentially no role in explaining cycling mode share across metros. Across workers, the hilliness of a commuter’s route is found to be statistically irrelevant to cycling mode choice.
Published version: Justin Tyndall. Cycling mode choice amongst US commuters: The role of climate and topography. Urban Studies, (2020).