Sustainable mobility is a topic that more and more companies, cities and municipalities are focusing on. For the third episode of our podcast "Kilowatt Hour," we sat down with Delphine Eeckhout, Mobility Expert and Manager at Traject. Delphine shares her wisdom on sustainable mobility and how cycling plays a central role in it. The full podcast can be viewed on our Youtube channel and listened to on Spotify. You can read the summary of the conversation again in black and white here.
A Sustainable Pathway
Traject has been a leader in the field of mobility for thirty years. They offer advice and support to companies, cities and municipalities that want to commit to (sustainable) mobility. With her 15 years of experience at Traject, Delphine Eeckhout is the perfect person to talk about our shared passion for sustainable mobility and the role of cycling in it.
How can companies bet on mobility?
There is a clear evolution in sustainable mobility. Whereas in the past mobility was mainly used to address a problem (such as congestion problems), companies are now increasingly focusing on mobility based on sustainability ambitions. For example, they want to increase employee satisfaction, corporate social responsibility or make a real difference as a company. The first step, according to Delphine, is to think primarily about motivation:
"One of the first steps is to very clearly define the why. What is the motivator to work on mobility? The motivation used to lie mainly in problems, such as too many traffic jams. Now we see that companies focus more on mobility based on sustainability ambitions, employee satisfaction and corporate social responsibility. It is important that management understands this motivation and its importance. This creates support within the organization."
The total cost of mobility
Companies often think that sustainable mobility involves large investments. But according to Delphine, it is always an investment that quickly pays for itself. In fact, research shows that cycling employees are more productive and happier, which ultimately results in cost savings.
Delphine: "We know that cycling employees are more productive and happier so those investments quickly pay for themselves. You also have to ask yourself "What is the cost of doing nothing?", if you are not going to invest in mobility and you lose competitiveness and employee satisfaction, that is also a cost."
The bicycle's contribution to mobility
According to Delphine, the bicycle is always an important part of the solution. Yet it appears that there is still a lot of untapped cycling potential in Belgium. We know that more than half of the employees live at maximum 15 km from their work, so that is a large cycling potential that is not yet reflected in the figures. In addition, we know that the landscape in Flanders is fairly flat. There are also a lot of investments in cycling infrastructure and culture. Which makes cycling to work much easier and more accessible.
"The bicycle always comes back in our advice."
Trajectory notices that there is often untapped cycling potential at the organizations they visit where additional gains can be made. Bicycle leasing is the perfect solution for that, according to Delphine:
"We have long been a proponent of bike leasing, because it allows you to give employees the ability to put together a bike according to their needs, just as has been done for years with cars."
What exactly should a company consider when they want to commit to cycling? Delphine explains that good cycling infrastructure is indispensable. For example, a basic requirement is to have decent bicycle parking and adequate facilities such as showers, changing rooms and lockers.
What does Traject do for cities and towns?
Besides companies, Traject is also committed to cities and municipalities. Traject then supports them with strategic advice (for example, in drafting mobility plans, bicycle plans and parking policy plans) and operational advice (for example, in supporting mobility services and participation processes).
Flemish civil servants can now also exchange part of their year-end bonus or vacation days for a bicycle. Yet there are still many civil servants who do not take advantage of this. According to Delphine, it is crucial that local governments commit to this, in order to set an example for residents and businesses:
"The role model function of local governments is still underused. We cannot expect residents to move sustainably or use cars more consciously if local governments themselves do not show what is possible."
The best bike plan is a car plan
In most cities and towns, space is very limited, so drastic choices often have to be made:
"The best bike plan is actually a car plan, freeing up space from the car to sustainable modes of transportation such as bicycles."
In addition to this "model shift," a "mental shift" is also needed. First a mental shift is needed in management so that there is support, and only then can you move to sustainable changes in mobility for residents.
The full episode on YouTube
