Energy consumption in university commuting: Barriers, policies and reduction scenarios in León (Spain)

There is a growing interest in university commuting that aims at identifying patterns of behavior, as well as the main barriers limiting the advances in sustainable mobility on campus. This work analyzes, on the basis of an online survey conducted at the University of Leon (ULE), the following issues: a) the behavior of ULE users in their weekly commuting; b) the environmental implications of such behavior in terms of non-renewable cumulative energy demand (NR CED), and c) the main barriers/disincentives to implementing a modal shift as declared by the respondents, according to their work status (students or workers) and gender. The data reveal differences in habits, especially in relation to the users’ work status, while differences by gender are not so significant. Still, this case study shows how men students use bicycles and motorcycles slightly more often than women, while the car is the main transportation mode for women workers. Car use is in fact the main hotspot of university commuting to the ULE (approximately 95% of the NR CED). Unsafe cycle paths, thefts at university, bus fares and frequency of service were the main barriers to a greater use of bicycle and bus identified by the survey respondents, with some differences by gender and work status. Measures aimed at minimizing these barriers could achieve maximum reductions of the NR CED ranging between 18.1% and 35.0%. This article discusses measures and policies that could be implemented to improve sustainable mobility at university.