Why Cyclists Form Stronger Commuting Habits Than Drivers

Among the many reasons that an overwhelming majority of people commute by car is that driving to work literally becomes a habit. Once the routine is established, you wake up and follow a chain of automatic cues that end on the road. In a practical sense, whatever choice you once had about your travel mode no longer exists.

That’s a lot of neuroscience standing between cities and reduced car reliance. But it turns out drivers aren’t the only ones whose brains get beholden to a certain manner of commuting. New evidence claiming to be the first of its kind suggests that people who walk or ride a bike to work also become behaviorally attached to their travel type—and may even form stronger habits than drivers do.