the different metropolitan population a driving license and, especially, the good series running from 1981 (the first centres and the city of Barcelona, which availability of a private vehicle, a situation time the question about the workplace or are well above those recorded for other in which only one half of the population place of study was introduced in Catalonia) localities. in the Regió Metropolitana de Barcelona to 2001, mobility analysis has been reduced finds itself. Therefore, the mobility to only a part of all journeys, and not even As regards the modal distribution, over model is shaped not only in accordance the largest part, as will be seen later. 45% of mobility in the metropolitan region with territorial features and the existing is satisfied via non-motorised means; the availability of transport services and The extension of the Survey of Daily remainder, involving motorised means is infrastructure, but also from the personal Mobility 2006 to the whole of Catalonia shared out between the 34% of journeys characteristics of each individual and social makes it possible, for the first time for the made on public transport and the 66% group. Comarques Gironines, to have a very large made in private vehicles. However, the sample which, as well as updating the analysis of modal behaviour patterns information, extends the field of analysis for journeys in the Barcelona region 1 This figure takes into account all the journeys and gives important details of the type of recorded for the Regió Metropolitana de reveals different mobility models, which movement going on, how and where it is Barcelona, whether undertaken by residents or denote the marked territorial imbalances non-residents in the area. With the exception happening and the characteristics of the in the public transport network and of those cases that do not state the contrary, population making it. The lack of the availability of services on a regular the article throughout makes no analysis of comparable information reduces the basis. Thus, the consequences of an the journeys undertaken by the non-resident analysis to an initial description of the infrastructure system mainly designed population of the metropolitan area, because starting situation, in the hope that future of the fact that this represents an insignificant to serve the central city, with a basically percentage of the total number of movements editions of the Survey of Daily Mobility will radial projection and few connections of a recorded for the area —around 1.1% of the whole. also consider the Comarques Gironines and transversal character, can be seen. 2 The population data correspond to 2006; the that it may have more elements of study data for business activity corrrespond to 2002 making it possible to mark developments Despite this, consideration must be given and refer to the sum total of business entities within the same region and compare according to their legal status: natural persons, to the differences between mobility on public limited companies, limited liability them with other regions. working days and on days off, particularly companies, co-ownership companies, co- as regards the activities undertaken. In operatives and others: Source: IDESCAT [on-line]. A first extrapolation from the sample for this sense, if 47% of journeys made on <http://www.idescat.net> [2008]. the Comarques Gironines indicates that working days are for occupational reasons 3 Apart from the Regió Metropolitana de Barcelona, 91.5% of its population (aged 4 or over) the other territorial areas taken into consideration and 53% of the remainder are for personal leaves the house every working day and in undertaking the study are the Comarques reasons, at weekends these figures work Gironines, Comarques Centrals, the Camp de makes some sort of journey. With an out as a ratio of 7% to 93%, respectively. Tarragona, the Terres de l’Ebre, the Terres analysis population of 643,963, this de Ponent and the Alt Pirineu i Aran. represents a volume of more than 588,000 Indeed, the reason why people need to 4 The central Barcelona connurbation is made up people making journeys. The non-mobile of the municipalities of Badalona, Barcelona, make journeys greatly influences the population is therefore only 54,981 people. l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Santa Coloma de timetabling profile of their mobility, the Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs. distances to be covered and the choice 5 Reference is made here to real time, which as Considering that each person makes more of means of transport to be used. In this well as taking into account the speed that the than one journey a day, the total number of way, journeys for occupational reasons means of transport may reach, includes each and journeys rises to 2,049,407, which means usually cover longer distances, which use every one of the times and distances intervening an average of 3.48 journeys per mobile in the trajectory (Miralles-Guasch, Carme. Usos up a greater period of time and require the del temps i mobilitat. Barcelona: Ajuntament de individual on working days, and 3.18 if the use of motor vehicles, whereas journeys Barcelona, 2006, p. 44). whole population aged over 4 is taken into for personal reasons tend to be related account. This is a figure below the Catalan with proximity, the reduction of journey average (3.38), which is strongly marked time and the use of non-motorised means by the high level of the mobility of the (although the undertaking of more activites DAIly MOBILIty IN THE Regió Metropolitana. for leisure purposes far from the place of COMARQUES GIRONIneS residence on days off is translated into a These figures fall at weekends and on lengthening of the journeys involved and a Obdúlia Gutiérrez public holidays, with 76.9% making greater use of private vehicles). journeys. In absolute figures, we are talking about 1,447,875 journeys, a Nevertheless, despite the general 1. The journeys of the people of the reduction of 29.3% compared to working mobility profiles, the nature of people’s girona region days. Although the number of journeys journeys is markedly influenced by the reduces notably, the number of mobile population segment to which they belong, In the last few years, the Comarques individuals does not fall by so much, whether in terms of sex, age or social Gironines has been one of the areas of moving to 495,451, only 15.9% fewer and occupational circumstances. These Catalonia that has grown most in terms than on working days. All this means, are features that give rise to marked of population, moving from 567,552 therefore, a reduction in the average differences in the purposes and means of inhabitants in 2001 to 673,351 in 2006, an journey/person/day, which is 2.92 for transport used to make journeys. Thus, increase of 18.6 % —more than 6 points mobile individuals and 2.25 considering the while on working days men undertake above the average for Catalonia (12.16%). entire population. 52% of journeys for occupational reasons, This population increase, together with the women, on the other hand, make 62% of often quoted reasons for the increase in 1.1. What motivates the journeys? their journeys for personal reasons. These mobility of people in all areas of life and all represent differences that are maintained age groups, has led to increasing mobility Mobility is differentiated into two broad where the use of means of transport is rates1. categories: that motivated by occupation, concerned, with a majority use of private which has for some time been known as vehicles on the part of employed men, Until now, mobility for working and essential daily mobility (to work or study); whereas women, children and elderly studying has been analysed using data and a broader group, including all other people usually make greater use of public extracted from censuses and residential reasons under the heading of personal transport and non-motorised means. and housing registers of the National mobility. The following table shows the Statistical Institute, which includes only distribution of the journeys of the people Notwithstanding this, one highly journeys for work and study of people of the Girona region, depending on the conditioning factor for mobility is having aged over 16. Although there is now a various reasons. DAILY MOBILITY IN CATALONIA / 167 Although it may seem so, as it is one of said that this is the first time information non-motorised modes, which basically the daily movements with the greatest and has been made available which, as has means on foot or, almost insignificantly, most predictable degree of recurrence, been said, allows quantification of this by bicycle. This percentage can be occupational mobility is not the reason phenomenon beyond mobility for working considered low —the Catalan average is for the largest number of journeys or studying. 45.1%— and even more so taking into (although the number of individuals account, as has been said before, that moving is something else again) and it So, according to the Survey of Daily 65.8% of journeys (1,347,417) are made lies visibly below personal mobility, with Mobility 2006, of the total journeys made within the municipality of residence, which 46.6% of journeys, also counting returns by the population of the Girona region, would lead one to think more of a non- home from occupational journeys. 1,372,826 start and end in the same motorised type of mobility, especially in municipality, that is, are made without small or medium-sized towns like those Meanwhile, personal mobility accounts for going outside the boundary. in the Girona region, where the possibility 53.4% of movements, distributed widely of walking or cycling journeys is more among the various reasons motivating If a criterion is included that the viable because of the distances to be them.