Mobility statistics information public insurance policies. Alternatively, in France, the way in which they’re offered, inherited from the years of the whole automotive, reduces the percentage of strolling, which penalizes the advance of energetic mobility. What if we took inspiration from statistical approaches already used in other places, for instance in Switzerland, to raised rely the time spent strolling?
Statistics are by no means impartial: they replicate political possible choices that correspond to a particular ancient context. The way in which of presenting the result of statistical analysis at the mobility of folks in France, which is already 50 years previous, isn’t any exception to this rule. This results in a robust underestimation of commute by means of foot, with the chance of constant to desire insurance policies in desire of motorized modes of commute.
It’s top time to reform this use, as Switzerland did 30 years in the past, if we need to give more room to energetic mobility lately, for social, financial and environmental causes.
As a reminder, strolling is essentially the most inclusive, democratic and least environmentally destructive approach of commute, and now not handiest within the middle of giant towns.
What the statistics say about mobility
In France, because the standardization of human mobility analysis in 1976, trips have normally been offered when it comes to “modal shares”. Those are the stocks, of all journeys recorded, made by means of each and every mode of commute: automotive, motorized two-wheeler, public shipping, bicycle, strolling, and so on.
Evolution of modal stocks in France, between 1982 and 2019, for weekday journeys. The most recent nationwide analysis on private mobility
In vintage representations of accrued information, the modal percentage of strolling is far smaller than the percentage of vehicles. Alternatively, after we take a look at some other main supply of statistics, which might be mobility surveys carried out in massive towns, commute by means of foot dominates in town facilities and on occasion in dense suburbs close to the outer edge. However far and wide else it is most commonly the other, and the automobile’s triumph thus turns out indeniable.
Vehicles parked without delay at the sidewalk, fighting use. Supplied by means of the creator
In consequence, for individuals who uncover those statistics offered on this approach, in maximum territories, it kind of feels essential to present precedence to vehicles, to present them more room to pressure and park, despite the fact that it needs to be completed on the expense of public areas, sidewalks, public squares and different media.
What those representations omit to specify
Let’s take a better take a look at those numbers. If truth be told, what’s frequently known as ‘modal percentage of strolling’ refers handiest to ‘unique strolling’, i.e. trips made fully on foot, by means of citizens, in public puts and outdoor running hours.
By way of conference we omit:
intermodal strolling, i.e. touring on foot to sign up for or depart public shipping or a automotive, bicycle or motorized two-wheeler car parking zone,
strolling in personal areas open to the general public, reminiscent of buying groceries facilities or teach stations,
strolling or mountaineering,
strolling all over paintings, together with when running in public puts, which is nonetheless essential in positive professions,
strolling house to do a wide variety of actions: from cleansing to gardening, DIY, and so on.,
in any case, a stroll carried out by means of guests (vacationers and different non-residents) of the territory.
How are we able to provide an explanation for this type of restrictive method?
Statistical conventions on mobility had been evolved within the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies all over the “all-car” generation, when the primary efforts had been made to restore public transportation. On this context, it was once to start with essential to plot and size the roads to soak up the impulsively expanding motorized visitors, with pedestrians being given little or no consideration and cyclists anticipated to vanish.
By way of conference in mobility surveys, a go back and forth is an individual going from a homeland to a spot of vacation spot, by means of a number of approach and for a particular reason why. Modes are hierarchical with precedence in step with essentially the most tough: first public shipping, then automotive, then two-wheelers and in any case strolling.
In different phrases, if an individual walks to a bus forestall, takes a bus, after which completes their adventure on foot, the adventure is regarded as to were made on public shipping, and the strolling section is solely not noted. On this method, strolling turns into a statistical “residual,” this is, what stays in any case different modes of commute are taken under consideration. Alternatively, public shipping customers spend about part in their time on foot strolling or ready.
Those international locations rely journeys otherwise
Alternatively, this presentation of commute statistics in France is some distance from the one one conceivable.
In Switzerland, for instance, because the mobility statistics reform offered in 1994, the result of the mobility survey are offered from 3 other angles: distance travelled, commute time and collection of levels.
By way of level right here we imply the segments of the go back and forth which can be carried out by means of one mode of shipping. Touring by means of public shipping, for instance, generally has step one on foot, then the second one by means of public shipping and the 3rd once more on foot: this is known as intermodal strolling.
Thus, in 2021, making an allowance for handiest unique strolling and intermodal strolling, the Swiss spent extra time on foot than within the automotive each day.
Modal percentage of approach of shipping utilized in Switzerland in 2021 Swiss Federal Statistical Place of job
In different places, we also are fascinated by different ways of presenting the result of mobility analysis, reminiscent of Belgium or the UK.
If truth be told, 100% of our trips contain no less than some strolling, even minimally when, for instance, it comes to merely getting out of the automobile within the automotive park at your place of job. Strolling is the supply of all different sorts of mobility, and the opposite tactics are simply “walking relays”. Since we’re bipedal, strolling is clearly our number one mode of locomotion.
Against a brand new method in France?
Can France exchange how it gifts mobility statistics, in gentle of what Switzerland is proposing?
With the intention to turn into conscious about the day by day significance of strolling, it’s suitable to method it when it comes to general commute time on foot. A up to date find out about by means of Ademeo unearths that we spend one hour and twelve mins on foot on a daily basis, which is a lot more than the typical time spent in a automotive on a daily basis, which is 37 mins.
Those effects additionally display that taking intermodal strolling under consideration will increase the length of solely strolling by means of 75% (referred to within the graph beneath as “local all-walking travel”). Bearing in mind always spent touring, strolling is without a doubt the main mode of commute, some distance forward of the automobile.
Distribution of day by day commute time. Strolling Mobility and Socio-Financial Review of Strolling, ADEME 2025
This find out about is in keeping with the usage of two present however underutilized surveys (the Private Mobility Survey and the French Time Use Survey) and adopting a number of wary hypotheses.
Over a number of hundred thousand years of human evolution, bipeds changed into extremely refined. It freed up our palms, made us very sturdy when operating, and helped broaden our brains. Then, in simply 150 years with the appearance of motorized transportation, on a regular basis utilitarian strolling collapsed.
Alternatively, in step with our charter, common strolling is essential to stick wholesome, develop smartly, are living higher and age smartly. It is a public well being factor. Due to this fact, it is crucial to create relaxed public areas, unfastened sidewalks from unlawful parking and different stumbling blocks, make sure that protected pedestrian crossings and chill out automotive visitors, its velocity and quantity. To enhance such insurance policies, we might nonetheless want to reconsider the way in which we constitute strolling in mobility survey effects.
