Good for the planet… and for you too? Comparing five travel and health-related outcomes among active, motorized, and public transport commuters

Aligned with sustainable development goals, the promotion of active and public transport commuting has gained ground in the last decade. However, literature empirically addressing the individual outcomes of different commuting modes remains scarce. The core aim of this research was to assess and compare a literature-based set of travel, health, and welfare-related outcomes among three different groups of urban daily commuters: private motorized, public transport, and active commuters. This cross-sectional study used a nationwide sample of n = 2370 urban daily commuters from all 17 regions of Spain. Participants, aged between 18 and 70, with an average of M = 33 years, were drawn from all 17 regions of Spain, and responded to an electronic survey on commuting issues. As hypothesized, different groups of commuters had different psychosocial trip- and welfare-related outcomes. Indeed, most indicators, except for travel satisfaction, showed a favorable association with the sustainability value attributed to each commuting means. Particularly, active travelers had significantly lower commuting stress and Body Mass Index (BMI) values, and higher rates of life satisfaction and pro-environmental behavior in areas beyond transport, in stark contrast to private motorized users. Public transport users, although ‘in the middle’ in most aspects, report the highest commuter stress rates. The results of this research endorse the assumption that the commuting mode matters, but the relationship between transport sustainability and user outcomes cannot be understood as ‘totally linear’. These insights can be valuable for initiatives aimed at promoting shifts towards more sustainable –and active– transportation patterns among commuters, who constitute an interest group in current mobility planning and decision-making. • Promoting active and public transport commuting is a nowadays ‘hot topic’ for transport policy and planning. • This study compared set of travel and health-related outcomes among three different groups of commuters. • Active travelers had significantly better outcomes in all aspects, except for travel satisfaction. • Although vehicle commuters show comparatively poorer outcomes, commuter stress was higher in public transport users. • The links between mode sustainability and user outcomes tend to favor active commuters, though not in a linear manner.