Cycling in Galway

Research Method

Project Outputs

The Research Team

Acknowledgements

Peddling Stories: An Investigation of the Day-to-Day Realities for Cyclists in Galway

A Research Experience and Learning (REaL) Project

Faced with the growing urgency and need to tackle the climate emergency, cities and towns across the world are increasingly attempting to limit the use of private cars within their urban environments. There is now greater resolve to move people to alternative, more sustainable, and active modes of transport such as walking, cycling, and public transport to decrease the adverse environmental and public health implications of an overreliance on private cars in municipal spaces. Cycling can lessen the demand for private cars, with the associated benefits of reducing harmful emissions and costly traffic congestion. Moreover, there are multiple health and well-being gains for individuals who cycle including weight loss, decreased stress levels and improved mental health, it helps build muscles, can reduce heart disease, cut cancer risk, enables people to sleep better, boost the immune system, and improve overall brain function. Attempts are ongoing in Galway, a small city on the west coast of Ireland, to seek improvements in cycling infrastructure and facilities and promote and support cycling and cyclists in the city. But policy and decision-makers have largely thwarted these efforts, and vested interests appear set against cycling becoming established in the city. This research sets about capturing the realities of cycling in the city from the cyclist’s perspective. Data collected from varying age groups and cycling abilities suggests that this mode of transport is largely marginalised and neglected in the context of transport strategy in the city. The findings suggest that most cyclists felt unsafe navigating the city on bicycles and that a prevailing car-centric attitude prevents cycling from developing in Galway to the detriment of the local environment and citizens' health.

Participants in the Research

Consent statement and information for those wishing to participate in the research

Participants will need to agree with the following statement to participate in the research:

"I am over 18 years of age and consent to my questionnaire response and/or interview to be used in this study. I am aware of the purpose and nature of the study and understand that I am free to withdraw at any time or refuse to answer any question without consequence. I understand that I can withdraw my permission to use my data within two weeks after submitting, in which case all such data will be deleted. Further information on the research is available from www.ssrc.ie/REaL/galway-cyclists.html"

Further information can be obtained from the consent form below:

Consent Form

A Mixed Research Method

How the data was collected

The data for this study was collected as part of the Research Experience and Learning (REaL) initiative at the Social Sciences Research Centre (SSRC) at the University of Galway: a pioneering student/teaching initiative that affords undergraduate students practical and real-world experience in social science research design and methods. A mixed method approach was adopted, which began with designing and developing a questionnaire of ten questions which was then made available online using the LimeSurvey application. A request to participate in a follow-up interview was included in this questionnaire The data gathered from the questionnaire was obtained in two instalments - from Tuesday 18th July 2023 to Wednesday 30th August 2023 and again from Thursday 14th September 2023 until Friday 29th September 2023. A simple random sampling approach was employed and a sample size was determined by some ‘back of the envelope’ calculations. The current population of Galway City and its suburbs stands at 85,910 (CSO 2023a) and the number of individuals in the country who commute to work, school, college or childcare by bicycle was just under 5% (CSO 2023b). This would suggest an approximate cycling population of over 4,000 (N=4,295), and with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5% the ideal sample size is over 350 (n=353). The motivation for splitting the collection into two time periods was that the first was purposefully focused on cyclists who live or work in the city all year round and the second period focused on students in third-level education in Galway. Many student cyclists leave the city during the summer month returning for the beginning of the teaching semester in September but their perspective on cycling needed to be obtained for this research given they form approximately 20% of the composition of the population of Galway (University of Galway 2023). The total number of fully completed questionnaires, after removing respondents who do not cycle in Galway, was 321 and partially completed 33 making a total of n=354. Several follow up interviews were conducted to obtain deeper insight into the motivations behind cyclist's decision-making.

University of Galway. (2023). About Galway, Galway, Ireland: University of Galway. Retrieved 19 September, 2023 (https://www.universityofgalway.ie/student-life/about-galway/)
CSO. (2023a). Census of Population 2022 Profile 1 - Population Distribution and Movements. Census of Population 2022, Cork: Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 20 September, 2023 (https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpp1/censusofpopulation2022profile1-populationdistributionandmovements/populationdistribution/)
CSO. (2023b). Census of Population 2022 - Summary Results - Employment, Occupation, Industry and Commuting. Census of Population 2022, Cork: Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 20 September, 2023 (https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpsr/censusofpopulation2022-summaryresults/employmentoccupationindustryandcommuting/)