What potential for bike-bus intermodality in Wallonia? Conditions and perspectives for integration around TEC Express lines

Details

Supervisors

Defourny, Pierre ; Stinglhamber, Barbara

Faculty

Faculté des bioingénieurs

Degree label

Master [120] : bioingénieur en sciences et technologies de l'environnement, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enOver the past decades, sustainable mobility has become a central topic in transport policies worldwide, aiming not only to reduce carbon emissions but also to reduce traffic congestion and improve quality of life by addressing issues such as air and noise pollution and insufficient physical activity. In particular, public transport and active modes such as walking and cycling are increasingly promoted as sustainable alternatives to private cars. Their combination - known as intermodality - emerges as a promising solution, uniting the long-distance capacity of public transport with the flexibility of active mobility. In this context, this thesis focuses on the potential of bike-bus intermodality in Wallonia, particularly along the TEC Express bus network. Through a dual approach combining spatial analysis and a user survey, it evaluates both infrastructure and population coverage, explores user needs, preferences and constraints, and formulates concrete recommendations to further develop this form of intermodality. The study reveals that the practice already exists – one-third of surveyed users have tried it at least once - and is reportedly increasing according to bus drivers. However, its future development is hindered by key obstacles such as the lack of safe cycling infrastructure, the lack of secure bike parking near bus stops, and insufficient clear and reliable information. Spatial simulations also show that nearly half of the Walloon population lives within a 15-minute e-bike ride of an Express bus stop, highlighting a significant untapped potential to attract new users. By combining spatial simulations and user insights, this research provides strong arguments for scaling up bike-bus intermodality and offers concrete pathways to create a more accessible, attractive, and efficient intermodal system that can realistically compete with private cars. Rethinking mobility is not necessarily about inventing new modes, but about making the existing ones work better together.