Maarten Kroesen

Promoting Cycling for Transport: Research Needs and Challenges

Abstract Cycling as a mode of transportation has many advantages for both cyclists and society: it is a low-cost, low-polluting, health-improving way to travel. In light of these benefits, a growing number of cities throughout the world are implementing policies to promote cycling, though they continue to struggle to identify the most effective ways to spend their limited resources. In response, transport researchers are also increasingly focusing their efforts on cycling, addressing a broader range of questions than in the past, including: how much cycling is there? What strategies will increase cycling? What are the benefits of increased cycling? This paper reviews the challenges that researchers face in providing answers to these questions by highlighting limitations of the existing research, identifying remaining research needs, and discussing methodological considerations for addressing those needs. Investments in cycling research can pay off by providing a basis for identifying the most effective strategies for increasing cycling and providing more accurate estimates of the benefits that would accrue.

Testing a theory of aircraft noise annoyance: A structural equation analysis

Previous research has stressed the relevance of nonacoustical factors in the perception of aircraft noise. However, it is largely empirically driven and lacks a sound theoretical basis. In this paper, a theoretical model which explains noise annoyance based on the psychological stress theory is empirically tested. The model is estimated by applying structural equation modeling based on data from residents living in the vicinity of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in The Netherlands. The model provides a good model fit and indicates that concern about the negative health effects of noise and pollution, perceived disturbance, and perceived control and coping capacity are the most important variables that explain noise annoyance. Furthermore, the model provides evidence for the existence of two reciprocal relationships between (1) perceived disturbance and noise annoyance and (2) perceived control and coping capacity and noise annoyance. Lastly, the model yielded two unexpected results. Firstly, the variables noise sensitivity and fear related to the noise source were unable to explain additional variance in the endogenous variables of the model and were therefore excluded from the model. And secondly, the size of the total effect of noise exposure on noise annoyance was relatively small. The paper concludes with some recommended directions for further research.

Mobile customer segmentation based on smartphone measurement

While customer segmentation for mobile services is typically based on demographics and reported use, smartphone measurement software enables to add directly observed user behavior. This explorative paper develops customer segmentation on relevant metrics from the perspective of network operators, handset manufacturers, and application developers. We analyze the results of a smartphone measurement project among 129 users using latent class analysis. The data are subsequently related to demographics and psychographics, to enable lifestyles. We find that several service clusters can be defined from the perspectives of the usage of the network (i.e. voice, SMS and data) and the usage of content services (i.e. URLs and applications). We demonstrate that such clusters can be related to demographic as well as psychographic segments. The results provide fine grained insights in market segments as well as new hypotheses about mobile behavior that are open for further testing. While being exploratory in nature, the study demonstrates the relevance of customer segmentation on smartphone measurement data.

Policy discourse, people’s internal frames, and declared aircraft noise annoyance: An application of Q-methodology

Aircraft noise annoyance is studied extensively, but often without an explicit theoretical framework. In this article, a social approach for noise annoyance is proposed. The idea that aircraft noise is meaningful to people within a socially produced discourse is assumed and tested. More particularly, it is expected that the noise policy discourse influences peoples assessment of aircraft noise. To this end, Q-methodology is used, which, to the best of the authors knowledge, has not been used for aircraft noise annoyance so far. Through factor analysis five distinct frames are revealed: Long live aviation!, aviation: an ecological threat, aviation and the environment: a solvable problem, aircraft noise: not a problem, and aviation: a local problem. It is shown that the former three frames are clearly related to the policy discourse. Based on this observation it is argued that policy making is a possible mechanism through which the sound of aircraft is turned into annoyance. In addition, it is concluded that the experience of aircraft noise and, in particular, noise annoyance is part of coherent frames of mind, which consist of mutually reinforcing positions and include non-acoustical factors.

Determining the direction of causality between psychological factors and aircraft noise annoyance

In this paper, an attempt is made to establish the direction of causality between a range of psychological factors and aircraft noise annoyance. For this purpose, a panel model was estimated within a structural equation modeling approach. Data were gathered from two surveys conducted in April 2006 and April 2008, respectively, among the same residents living within the 45 Level day-evening-night contour of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the largest airport in the Netherlands (n=250). A surprising result is that none of the paths from the psychological factors to aircraft noise annoyance were found to be significant. Yet 2 effects were significant the other way around: (1) from aircraft noise annoyance to concern about the negative health effects of noise and (2) from aircraft noise annoyance to belief that noise can be prevented. Hence aircraft noise annoyance measured at time 1 contained information that can effectively explain changes in these 2 variables at time 2, while controlling for their previous values. Secondary results show that (1) aircraft noise annoyance is very stable through time and (2) that changes in aircraft noise annoyance and the identified psychological factors are correlated.

Measuring subjective response to aircraft noise : The effects of survey context

In applied research, noise annoyance is often used as indicator of subjective reaction to aircraft noise in residential areas. The present study aims to show that the meaning which respondents attach to the concept of aircraft noise annoyance is partly a function of survey context. To this purpose a survey is conducted among residents living near Schiphol Airport, the largest airport in the Netherlands. In line with the formulated hypotheses it is shown that different sets of preceding questionnaire items influence the response distribution of aircraft noise annoyance as well as the correlational patterns between aircraft noise annoyance and other relevant scales.

A measurement model for general noise reaction in response to aircraft noise.

In this paper a measurement model for general noise reaction (GNR) in response to aircraft noise is developed to assess the performance of aircraft noise annoyance and a direct measure of general reaction as indicators of this concept. For this purpose GNR is conceptualized as a superordinate latent construct underlying particular manifestations. This conceptualization is empirically tested through estimation of a second-order factor model. Data from a community survey at Frankfurt Airport are used for this purpose (N=2206). The data fit the hypothesized factor structure well and support the conceptualization of GNR as a superordinate construct. It is concluded that noise annoyance and a direct measure of general reaction to noise capture a large part of the negative feelings and emotions in response to aircraft noise but are unable to capture all relevant variance. The paper concludes with recommendations for the valid measurement of community reaction and several directions for further research.