Transit Use and the Work Commute: An empirical analysis of the role of urban densities, last mile problems, and personal constraints on mode choice

This study analyzes the role neighborhood factors, personal constraints, trip and modal variables play in the mode choice decision using data from Chicago Metropolitan area. The authors use detailed characteristics of the physical and social conditions at the trip origin and destination, including factors such as prevalence of violent crimes around station areas, which may contribute to last-mile barriers associated with transit modes. The role of variables such as population densities and level of existing transit service at origins and job densities are also explored. The results show that violent crimes around transit stations can discourage walking to transit stops and using transit. It also suggests that job densities in urban and suburban environments have different impacts on the likelihood that transit is chosen as the traveler’s mode. While in urban environments job density is found to encourage transit use over automobile use, no such relationship is found with suburban job densities.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP025 Public Transportation Planning and Development. Alternate title: Transit Use and the Work Commute: Empirical Analysis of Role of Built Environment, Last Mile Issues, and Personal Constraints in Mode Choice
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Tilahun, Nebiyou
  • Li, Moyin
  • Thakuriah, Piyushimita (Vonu)
  • Keita, Yaye
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
• Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p
• Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Commuting; Empirical methods; Mode choice; Origin and destination; Population density; Public transit; Ridership
• Geographic Terms: Chicago Metropolitan Area
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01520110
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-5472
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 26 2014 10:13AM