FACTORS AFFECTING MODE CHOICE FOR THE WORK JOURNEY: A MANCHESTER/SHEFFIELD COMPARISON

This report presents results from a pilot study of Manchester and Sheffield which have adopted contrasting transport policies in recent years. Sheffield's low fares policy (introduced in 1975) has resulted in much lower bus fares than those in Manchester. The report is based on 1971 and 1981 census data. Results show that there are a range of factors which influence mode choice including the spatial distribution of population and employment, the segregation of socio-economic groups, the patterns of residential tenure, the level of female employment (particularly in part-time jobs) and, above all, the level of car ownership. The two cities show marked contrasts in car ownership and modal share for the work journey. Car ownership and car use were similar for the two cities in 1966, but the growth in car ownership and car use has been faster in Manchester than in Sheffield over the period 1966 to 1981. In 1981, bus use was nearly twice as high in Sheffield as in Manchester even when the mode choice data was disaggregated by sex, socio-economic group and car ownership category. However, before the low fares policy was introduced. The main impact of Sheffield's low fares policy seems to have been to reduce the decline of public transport use for the work journey but mainly at the expense of car sharing and the use of minor modes (such as foot and two-wheelers). For a given level of car ownership, the proportions driving to work remain similar for the two cities. (Author/TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/02665247
• Corporate Authors:

  Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)

  Wokingham, Berkshire  United Kingdom 
• Authors:
  • DASGUPTA, M
  • Frost, M
  • SPENCE, N
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 16 p.
• Serial:
  • TRRL RESEARCH REPORT
  • Issue Number: 38
  • Publisher: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
  • ISSN: 0266-5247

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Demographics; Females; Mode choice; Policy making; Pricing; Public transit; Residential areas; Socioeconomic factors; Urban areas; Work trips
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Modal selection
• ITRD Terms: 1243: Car; 621: Journey to work; 744: Public transport; 9072: Selection; 2253: Sociology; 241: Tariff; 1145: Transport mode; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area; 315: Vehicle ownership
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00457307
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: NRR 4
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 27 2004 10:01PM