Search

We investigate the travel mode choice behaviour of both resident and cross-border workers in Luxembourg. Two categories of mode choice are considered: sustainable (public transport) and unsustainable (single occupancy car use), which both depend on a large set of spatial and sociodemographic variables. In particular, we determine whether and how the borders of the four countries involved (Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Germany) affect this choice. The results of a classical binary logistic regression model show that significant variables depend on the area of residence and that some border effects are relevant in the context of the studied cross-border areas. Moreover, the identification of these various border-effect variables does not require the use of big data processing techniques. Therefore the proposed method can be applied generally to other cross-border areas with an open border context to highlight the effects of border on functional integration. This study is helpful in terms of developing a better understanding of the determinants involved in the use of sustainable transport modes and in supporting decisionmaking to improve transport planning.

The papers included in this special issue of the EJTIR evolved from discussions and presentations given at the 2013 Transport Research Day of BIVEC, the ‘Benelux Interuniversity Association of Transport Researchers’, which took place at the University of Luxembourg in May 2013. This biannual event is organized in order to foster scientific exchange on related issues and offers a platform for early career researchers, most importantly PhD candidates, to present their work and receive scientific feedback. Different from the topic-wise rationale that is usually behind most other academic associations, submissions have to come from universities or representatives of the three Benelux countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Based on specific characteristics of mobility, the cross-border commuter status still has some ambiguities, whether in legal, geographic, economic or more generally in social or cultural terms. This paper aims at providing theoretical advancement to this specific cross-border mobility, especially through the transfer of a theoretical model using a cross-scale analysis based on two complementary concepts. The first corresponds to ‘border confirming’ and is measured at the macro level, including the economic differentials on both sides of the border. The second concept is called ‘border transcending’ and focuses on the individual level. It is based on the assessment of the psychosocial barriers that may fade as the daily practices of the border rise. This exploratory approach is tested within the European context of Benelux. The results, although they cannot be generalised due to a lack of comparable data, offer research perspectives. So far, the existence of a cross-border catchment area, tested on the Belgian cross-border commuters working in Luxembourg, is a reality for many.