Effective Job Accessibility: Bicycles/E-Bikes vs. Cars Within the Smart City and Countryside (A Digital Model of England and Wales)

Background: Despite a growing awareness of the obvious disadvantages of car travel for drivers (e.g., cost and health) and society (e.g., external costs and infrastructure maintenance), commuting by car to work is the prevailing mode of transport in the UK. Methods: A digital model of work and home locations in England and Wales using OSRM was created to compare the effective accessibility of e-bikes and cars for those working in an office five days a week. This accessibility metric is extended by the effective speed concept. The latter accounts for time spent travelling alongside the time spent working to offset commuting costs. Results: s-pedelecs offer, in various settings, the highest effective accessibility scores. Commuting by car is only advisable for individuals with a higher wage and time availability. If only the variable cost of the car commute is considered, then driving becomes the most expedient choice for many. Conclusions: Commuting by car is undoubtedly the fastest option for wealthy individuals. Whereas those less affluent in terms of time and money may opt for an e-bike, as commuting by car may not yield the commonly anticipated savings.