The pie charts compare the modes of transport used by people in a European city to travel to and from work in 1959 and 2009, while the figures below show the average distance and duration of these journeys.
Overall, there was a clear shift away from walking towards car use over the 50-year period. In addition, commuting distances and travel times increased substantially.
In 1959, walking was by far the most common means of commuting, accounting for 55% of all journeys. Bus and train travel were equally popular, each representing 15%, while only 10% of commuters used cars. Other forms of transport made up the smallest proportion at 5%. At that time, the average journey was relatively short, at 3.5 km, and took just 17 minutes.
By contrast, in 2009 car travel became the dominant mode, rising sharply to 35%. The proportion of people walking to work fell dramatically to 25%. Bus use declined slightly to 13%, whereas train travel remained unchanged at 15%. The percentage using other means more than doubled to 12%. Correspondingly, the average commuting distance increased to 19 km, and the time spent travelling rose to 42 minutes.