Investigating Travel Behavior and Air Quality in Northern Utah

U.S. residents across many regions continue to face episodes of poor air quality due in part to pollution and emissions from the transportation sector. Strategies to encourage travel behavior changes and reduced driving during such events may or may not be effective. To illuminate how area-wide air pollution affects traveler behaviors and to better understand the potential for travel behavior change strategies, the authors developed a multi-phase longitudinal (travel) survey data collection effort in Cache County, Utah, involving an initial survey about personal and household characteristics, a series of three two-day travel diary surveys during winter 2019, and a final survey about perceptions. The authors then analyzed the resulting data. First, the authors studied how measured (or perceived) poor air quality affected individuals’ daily travel amounts, finding little change in trip frequencies or total travel times. The authors did find that respondents were mostly aware of when air pollution levels were elevated. Second, the authors studied the degree to which people attributed the responsibility for air pollution to themselves or others, finding three groups of people differentiated by various travel, perceptual, and personal characteristics. People assuming more responsibility reported more travel behavior changes. Third, the authors analyzed 20 different activity and travel outcomes (taken from the travel diary surveys) for associations with air quality, while controlling for personal/household characteristics and neighborhood type. The authors found some “altruistic” travel behavior changes in response to air pollution, as well as differences for urban vs. suburban/rural residents. More research on these topics is needed in different urban areas.

• Dataset URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11640319
• Dataset URL:
  • https://github.com/singletonpa/2019-winter-transportation-survey/tree/v0.1
• Record URL:
  • https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=1177
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/77220
• Summary URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/77221
• Dataset URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/77862
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program. Supporting dataset available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11640319; https://github.com/singletonpa/2019-winter-transportation-survey/tree/v0.1; https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/77862.
• Corporate Authors:

  Utah State University, Logan

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Logan, UT  United States 

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Singleton, Patrick A
  • Humagain, Prasanna
  • Mandolakani, Fariba Soltani
  • Saheli, Mahyar Vahedi
• Publication Date: 2024-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 81p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Air quality; Perception; Travel behavior; Travel demand management; Travel surveys
• Geographic Terms: Cache County (Utah)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01929486
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC-559, MPC 24-528
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 4 2024 5:08PM