Just mobility in the city: the case of non-motorized households in car-dependent cities

By the simple fact of not owning a private automobile, some households are already experiencing sustainable mobility. They rely on public transportation networks, cycling and car sharing and tend to travel less than car-owning households. However, current sustainable mobility policies often do not take into account these kinds of households, focussing instead on convincing car owners to shift in their modal behaviours. We examine the mobility behaviours of non-motorized households living in several car-dependent Western Cities and consider ways to make public policies more just towards them. We consider this group as an everyday example of sustainable mobility and examine policy solutions that could make it easier for those foregoing private car ownership. We compare the similarities and differences between North American and European households by surveying households in Quebec City (Canada) and Strasbourg (France). In total we interviewed 57 households to describe their mobility behaviour and find out from them what policies are missing. We also inquired about social exclusion associated with their lack of private vehicles in a car-dependent society. In this paper we present our initial findings regarding what our interviewees suggest to improve public policy concerning their sustainable mobility. We also expose their ideas of a perfect world for non- motorized households.