Some urban commuters have no choice but to take their car

An EPFL study shows that suburban commuters do not necessarily take environmental concerns into account when deciding whether to use their car. Many car commuters - especially those with hectic schedules - feel they have no other choice. That's especially true when it comes to working mothers. Transportation accounts for a third of greenhouse gas emissions in Switzerland, and 75% of those emissions come from car travel. Transportation is one of the only sectors where carbon emissions have been rising since 1990. This problem is particularly acute in cities: the modal share of cars in Swiss cities is between one-third and one-fourth. A recent EPFL study examined the factors behind the popularity of cars in urban areas, finding that environmental concerns play only a secondary role in commuters' modal choices.