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University of Oxford
School of Geography and the Environment

 School of Geography and the Environment

IGS: Current and Recent Graduate Research

Lucy Mahoney

Investigating the changes and effects in travel behaviour in response to physical interventions for walking and cycling

Supervisor(s):
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Academic Profile

Lucy joined the Transport Studies Unit in October 2009. Her academic and personal interests, for quite some time have been on the relationship between society and the environment.

Lucy obtained a First class BSc from the University of Plymouth, with part of her course examining the issues and importance of sustainability. This motivated her to extend her learning and begin an MSc at the University of Exeter in Sustainable Development. After completing the MSc she joined the Transport Studies Unit at the University of Oxford and is presently undertaking her second year as a DPhil candidate in Geography and the Environment.

Current Research

Lucy's research interests include: the development of sustainable transportation networks and promotion; multi-modal transport options; behaviour change and the psychology behind decision-making and cities, society and cultures.

Doctoral Research

Lucy's thesis uses a mixed-method, longitudinal case study approach to examine changes and effects of travel behaviour in response to physical interventions for walking and cycling. Her case study is the Pont-y-Werin Bridge (The Peoples' Bridge) in Cardiff, Wales (Connect2) working within the research consortium iConnect.ac.uk.

Data for this study is collected from a randomised sub-sample of participants from Penarth and Cardiff. Interviews are being conducted with approximately 60 households to determine attitudes, perceptions and beliefs, plus usage levels towards the scheme as well as an adapted Day Reconstruction Method (DRM) Survey to measure individual subjective wellbeing. The survey will include longitudinal measures of experience, evaluation and eudemonics. Both will be supported by contextual fieldwork.

The aim is to identify outcomes such as levels of travel behaviour change, measures of subjective wellbeing and policy implications. Therefore using this in-depth approach, it is anticipated that the study's methodologies and the insights into intra-household dynamics will reveal the degree to which this kind of physical intervention is successful for whom, for what purposes and in which type of contexts. It will also provide support and evidence for future funding for similar schemes.

Publications

Conference Papers
  • Mahoney, L. (2011) Effects and changes in travel behaviour and net pollutant emissions in response to physical interventions for walking and cycling. Universities' Transport Studies Group (UTSG) 43rd Annual Conference, 5-7 January 2011, Open University, Milton Keynes.