More than a thousand responses to the survey on sustainable mobility, residents' council convenes in May

Riihimäki city to the sustainable mobility survey there were more than 1100 responses. The survey was of particular interest to children and young people, as no fewer than 900 school children answered the survey. The answers to the survey aimed at schoolchildren revealed that they feel that their trips to school are safe and that the trips to school are quite short. Based on the answers to the residents' survey, cycling is popular with the people of Riihämäkä.

"We are grateful for the number of responses. The sustainable mobility plan is drawn up specifically for the people of Riihimäkä, so it's great to get them involved in the work," says project manager Hanna Puolimatka from Destia.

Safe school trips

Riihimäki schoolchildren (grades 1–10) participated comprehensively in the sustainable movement survey. Of the eleven elementary schools in Riihimäki, a significant number of responses were received from seven (7) schools. The online survey was open to all Riihimäki schoolchildren from the end of February to the second half of March.

Based on the survey, schoolchildren feel that school trips are quite safe. For the most part, the journeys to school are also quite short, as for 78 percent of those who responded to the survey, the journey to school in one direction is less than three kilometers.

Schoolchildren's movement patterns change as they grow older. Especially at the beginning of the school term (1st to 5th grade), a large part of the schoolchildren who answered the survey walk their way to school.

The amount of cycling as a means of transportation increases significantly in the 6th grade, when students move to attend school in the middle school facilities, of which there are three in Riihimäki. This also partly explains the clearly higher utilization rate for e.g. private car transports and the use of buses between the 6th and 10th. for grade-schoolers, because the trips to school will be longer. In the ninth grade, especially mopeds and other light vehicles are introduced, which, based on the answers to the survey, significantly reduce the amount of cycling.

The people of Riihimäki are satisfied with the conditions

The resident survey was carried out at the same time as the school student survey, and in addition to the online survey, it was also possible to answer using a paper form. Almost 200 responses were received to the resident survey. Based on the survey, Riihimäki residents are quite satisfied with the conditions for walking and rail traffic. On the other hand, with regard to bus traffic, those who responded to the survey see room for improvement.

The survey also investigated the movement and mode of transportation of the people of Riihämäki in both summer and winter. In the summer, half of the respondents said that they especially prefer walking and cycling. In winter, the corresponding figure drops to 32%, which can be explained by the low amount of winter cycling (8%).

In winter, the most popular vehicle is a car with a share of 50 percent. Cars are also used for fairly short distances in city areas, as 44 percent of all motorists reported that the distance to work, study or shopping was less than five kilometers. According to research, those who drive short distances have the greatest potential to change their travel habits.
Those who responded to the survey hope for solutions for, for example, the continuity of bicycle and pedestrian paths, as well as the development and flexibility of bus traffic, without forgetting to consider motorists.

Resident council to meet in May

Eleven residents of Riihimäki signed up for the Riihimäki sustainable movement residents' council. A webinar will be organized for them in May. In the webinar, the board's views and experiences on various issues related to sustainable mobility are mapped, such as walking and cycling routes, access parking, city bikes, public transport and private cars. Ideas and thoughts are collected from Raati residents on how to make Riihimäki a pioneer in sustainable mobility.

You can follow the progress of the work on the city's website: Sustainable movement
In social media, the plan is communicated using the hashtags #RiksuLiikkuu and #KestaväLiikkuminen.

For more information:
Responsible traffic planner Anna-Maija Jämsén, City of Riihimäki, first name.surname@riihimaki.fi, tel. 050 590 7759
Project manager Hanna Puolimatka, firstname.lastname@destia.fi, Destia Oy, phone +040 641 6121 XNUMX