A Study on the Mode Choices of Commuters Living Near Regional Commuter Train Stations in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area

The paper presents an investigation on the commuting mode choices of commuters residing near the urban commuter rail stations with a case study on GO train system of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). It explores the relationship between the characteristics of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and the commuters’ mode choices. A hybrid revealed-preference/stated-preference (RP-SP) survey was designed and executed to collect data for empirical investigation. This paper presents the results of a random parameters logit model choice model of mode choices estimated by using the collected dataset. The model considers mode choice alternatives including the main commuting modes, and for the GO train option it considers the “access modes” also. The survey results indicate that gender, multiple worker households, multiple vehicle households, and the distance to the GO Transit station influence mode choices to access the GO Train stations. Furthermore, local bus frequency is found to affect the active transportation (walk and bike) access mode choices. This research adds to the existing body of literature on TOD in two significant ways: 1) it presents the results of a hybrid RP-SP survey about commuting mode choices in the context of TODs, and 2) it presents a mode choice model that examines mode choice behaviour as it correlates to certain TOD attributes near the commuter train stations.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP025 Standing Committee on Public Transportation Planning and Development.
• Authors:
  • Akbari, Saidal
  • Diab, Ehab
  • Shalaby, Amer
  • Habib, Khandker Nurul
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2018-1-7 to 2018-1-11
• Date: 2018

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 6p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transit; Commuters; Commuting; Logits; Mode choice; Nonmotorized transportation; Rail transit stations; Railroad commuter service; Revealed preferences; Stated preferences; Surveys; Timetables; Transit oriented development
• Identifier Terms: GO Transit
• Geographic Terms: Hamilton (Canada); Toronto (Canada)
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01659985
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 18-05318
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 13 2018 9:53AM