Abstract
The commute mode choice decision is one of the most fundamental aspects of daily travel. Although initial research in this area was limited to explaining mode choice behavior as a function of traveler socioeconomics, travel times, and costs, subsequent studies have included the effect of traveler attitudes and perceptions. This paper extends the existing body of literature by examining public transit choice in the Chicago area. Data from a recent Attitudinal Survey conducted by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) in Northeastern Illinois were used to pursue three major steps. First, a factor analysis methodology was used to condense scores on 23 statements related to daily travel into six factors. Second, the factor scores on these six dimensions were used in conjunction with traveler socioeconomics, travel times, and costs to estimate a binary logistic regression of public transit choice. Third, elasticities of transit choice to the six factors were computed, and the factors were ranked in decreasing order of these elasticities. The analysis provided two major findings. First, from a statistical standpoint, the attitudinal factors improved the intuitiveness and goodness-of-fit of the model. Second, from a policy standpoint, the analysis indicated the importance of word-of-mouth publicity in attracting new riders, as well as the need for a marketing message that emphasizes the lower stress level and better commute time productivity due to transit use.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank RTA for its financial and managerial support on the Market Analysis project, which is the source of the content and data presented in this paper. The authors also thank CMAP for providing highway and transit network skim data from the regional travel demand model. The authors acknowledge the efforts of Laurie Wargelin of Abt SRBI, and Greg Spitz and Margaret Campbell of RSG in administering the CATI and on-line surveys, respectively.
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Popuri, Y., Proussaloglou, K., Ayvalik, C. et al. Importance of traveler attitudes in the choice of public transportation to work: findings from the Regional Transportation Authority Attitudinal Survey. Transportation 38, 643–661 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-011-9336-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-011-9336-y