Understanding angles of change to reduce car dependency in rural areas: Evidence from Switzerland

The mobility sector is a major contributor to climate change, largely due to the high reliance on private cars. While urban areas are increasingly adopting policies and alternative mobility solutions to promote a reduction in car usage, alternatives are far more limited in rural regions, which remain heavily car-dependent. Hence, a deep understanding of mobility needs and attitudes in rural areas is needed to foster their transition towards sustainable transport solutions. Through a survey among 973 mobility users living in rural areas, this paper examines the relationship between current mobility patterns, attitudes, and needs in German-speaking rural Switzerland, focusing on car use reduction and the development of multi- and intermodal mobility options. Moreover, the Bamberg Stage Model is employed to investigate the factors influencing the reduction of car use at different decision-making stages. Our results indicate that cars are, as expected, the most commonly used mode of transport, followed by public transport, while the practice of combining multiple modes of transport (intermodality) remains very low. The findings show that improving public transport infrastructure, including longer operating hours and more frequent services, could promote inter- and multimodality and reduce car dependency. Moreover, we identify different strategies for reducing car use at different stages of behaviour change, highlighting the need for tailored interventions at each stage. These interventions include information campaigns to fill the knowledge gap about existing services and to emphasise biospheric values, which can motivate a shift towards more sustainable transportation choices.