Researchers at the University of Warsaw set out to examine how everyday transportation decisions affect the quality of the air we breathe. As part of the Co-Designing Inclusive Mobility (CoMobility) project, an international research team studied three public schools in Warsaw – looking at their locations, ambient air pollution, and parental transportation behavior. The result: a unique, open dataset drawing on air sensors data, field observations, travel diaries, and social surveys.
The University of Warsaw team included Prof. Anna Nicińska, Dr. Ewa Zawojska, Dr. Grzegorz Kula, Dr. Joanna Rachubik, Dr. Katarzyna Zagórska, Satia Rożynek, all from the Faculty of Economic Sciences, alongside Paweł Gora from the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics and the Faculty of Sociology.
The findings leave no doubt
The CoMobility research team studied three primary schools in Warsaw to examine how parental behaviors during school commutes affect air quality around school sites. The researchers analyzed data from air and noise sensors, traffic observations, travel diaries, and parent surveys.
The findings are striking: 8–16% of the average annual nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentration near these schools comes from cars dropping off children. Not trucks, not factories, not public transportation – but passenger cars stopping, parking, and maneuvering during morning drop-off.
Idling engines – drivers waiting “just a minute” – and morning congestion on already crowded streets around schools turn out to be particularly harmful. While traffic reorganization can sometimes improve local conditions, it often merely shifts the problem elsewhere. The problem isn’t the traffic jam – it’s the habit.
Personal convenience vs. collective health
The study makes it clear that our everyday decisions matter enormously. Although choosing to drive may feel “natural” – because it is faster or seems safer – the consequences are long-term and less visible. Children who breathe polluted air are more likely to get sick, perform worse on cognitive tests, and struggle with concentration.
Yet even small changes – such as a few car-free mornings each week – can meaningfully improve air quality around a school. Infrastructure is not the only determining factor: our beliefs and habits play a just as powerful role.
“Our study found that attitudes matter more for the transportation decisions of Warsaw residents than actual access to a bike lane or a bus stop,” notes Prof. Anna Nicińska, co-author of the study.
Kids expect different
The research team also asked students how they would prefer to get to school. The answers were clear: children much more often chose active travel modes – walking, cycling, or scootering – as their preferred options. And not only for exercise or fresh air. For many children, it is simply a source of joy: the pleasure of being on the move, of independence, and of spending time with friends before class. It is also a chance to step outside adult supervision, if only briefly – to talk, laugh, and observe the world around them.
Active commuting becomes more than just a way to get to school; it turns into an important daily ritual – a moment of transition between home and school in which children build agency, self-confidence, and a sense of control. It is more than logistics; it is an experience that no car ride can fully replace.
So it is worth asking: are we really doing our children a favor every time we drive them to school? Or are we, without realizing it, taking away what they value most – movement, independence, and a daily sense of freedom?
And then there’s the weather
Weather does influence our choices – but not always in the ways we might expect. Data show that it’s not cold temperatures but rain that most discourages active commuting. In fact, a cold, sunny morning is sometimes more conducive to walking or cycling than an overcast 10°C (50°F) day.
Still, the thermometer isn’t the main factor – our attitudes are. If we don’t believe we can walk, bike, or take the bus, even perfect weather won’t change our behavior.
Not everyone has a choice: Transport exclusion
The research team also noted that not every child has meaningful access to safe and convenient public transportation. In outlying neighborhoods, buses run less frequently, the walk to the nearest stop can be long, and infrastructure often does little to support walking or cycling. In such areas, life without a car can feel nearly impossible – and for many families, it genuinely is the only practical option.
“Thanks to the data we collected, we can better identify which parts of the city are underserved by transportation – and where improving public transit access would make the biggest difference,” says Prof. Nicińska.
So, what can we do?
The CoMobility project data go beyond analysis and point toward concrete actions we can take immediately. One of the most effective steps is to avoid driving children to school when another option is available, such as walking, biking, or scootering. Another simple but important habit is turning off the engine when parked, even if it is just for a moment. It is also worth reporting infrastructure problems, including missing safe crossings, poor visibility, or a lack of bike racks, as well as encouraging children to commute actively and treating the journey to school as a shared everyday experience.
Each of these decisions, repeated day after day, has a measurable impact on air quality, public health, children’s development, and the climate.
“Even if we don’t ride a bike, take a bus, or drive a car ourselves, we all hold certain beliefs about these travel modes – about their safety, quality, and comfort. Interestingly, our study found that attitudes are even more important than travel time in shaping the transportation choices of Warsaw residents – though of course infrastructure and attitudes are closely interrelated,” Prof. Nicińska concludes.
The text was originally published in Polish on the Serwis Naukowy UW website on June 27, 2025.
