COMMUTERS' CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE EFFECTS OF VEHICLE EMISSIONS

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2004

Subject Area

infrastructure - vehicle, planning - surveys, ridership - mode choice, ridership - behaviour, ridership - attitudes, policy - environment, mode - mass transit

Keywords

Vehicle exhaust, Transit, Surveys, Public transit, Private passenger vehicles, Pollutants, Mode choice, Modal choice, Mental attitudes, Mass transit, Local transit, Knowledge, Human behavior, Exhaust gases, Exhaust emissions, Environment, Emissions, Commuters, Choice of transportation, Behaviour, Behavior, Automobile exhaust, Attitudes

Abstract

This paper investigates relationships between environmental concerns, knowledge of vehicle emissions, and emission reducing behaviors. Attitudes towards the environment and knowledge of the polluting effects of vehicle emissions were surveyed in 566 train and bus commuters, private motor vehicle commuters and smoky vehicle commuters. Results showed that environmental concern was significantly correlated with level of contribution to an environmental organization, but not with levels of environmental attitudes or emissions knowledge. Smoky vehicle drivers did not have lower levels of knowledge of emissions or lower levels of environmental concern compared to other private motor vehicle commuters. Train commuters showed no greater concern for the environment than car commuters. These findings suggest that a policy that aims to change emission behavior by improving environmental attitudes and knowledge will not reinforce a preexisting relationship, and is likely to be ineffective.

Comments

Transportation Research Part D Home Page: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13619209

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