The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast
Why Americans Don't Drive Less When Gas Prices Soar (Dr. Ian Walker)
Jul 12, 2022
Dr. Ian Walker, an environmental psychology expert, discusses the challenges of incentivizing alternative modes of transportation and breaking ingrained travel habits. He explores the ineffectiveness of disincentives and shares strategies for behavior change, such as disruptive events and workplace commute incentives. The chapter emphasizes the need to understand the emotional and irrational factors influencing travel choices and urges listeners to drive less.
27:32
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Quick takeaways
- Changing deeply ingrained travel habits requires long-term support and repetition, not just incentives and disincentives.
- Creating environments that make active transportation and public transit more accessible and desirable can lead to sustainable travel choices.
Deep dives
The Power of Habits in Shaping Travel Choices
Dr. Ian Walker, a professor of environmental psychology, discusses the importance of understanding habits in the context of sustainable transportation. Habits develop when behaviors are triggered automatically by the environment, without conscious thought. Disruptive events, such as moving to a new home or starting a new job, provide opportunities to break old habits and establish new ones. Policy interventions at these transition points can be effective in encouraging behavior change. However, changing deeply ingrained habits can be challenging and often requires long-term support and repetition. Physical reminders and implementation intentions can assist individuals in consciously making different travel choices.
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