The social value of transport infrastructure in the UK: transport mode attitude influences

Attitudes towards transport modes influence delivery of the twin imperatives of moving towards lower carbon dioxide transport while improving people’s health and well-being. This study provides a macro-level assessment of social value across eight transport modes in the UK, forming the social component of a broader research agenda examining transport’s economic and environmental dimensions. A nationally distributed questionnaire (n = 300) collected pre-pandemic data on ten key attributes, including travel time, cost, comfort, safety, environmental impact and health benefits. Utilising statistical analysis, the relationship between overall and individual evaluations was investigated, revealing significant positive correlations. The results confirmed the relevance of the aforementioned factors in decision making. Younger participants provided more positive evaluations than older participants, suggesting that older individuals may feel underserved by transport options. Transport evaluations were independent of gender or ethnicity. Car ownership correlated with higher appreciation of car travel and lower appreciation of taxis, but did not affect evaluations of public transport or active modes. Qualitative responses clarified the reasons behind transport mode choices, identifying time and comfort as the primary influences. By offering a consistent, pre-Covid-19 baseline, the study enables comparison with macro-level economic and environmental analyses and supports more integrated transport policy design.