Estimating spatial patterns of commute mode preference in Beijing

Abstract

In the era of big data, multiple data sources have been employed in the study of land use and transportation for urban and regional planning purposes. This paper offers an example of how multiple data sources (e.g., mobile signalling data, taxi trips and transit trips from smartcard data) can be used to estimate the spatial pattern of commute mode preference in Beijing, China. The comparative analysis investigates the spatial pattern of commute mode preference by taxi at a fine resolution in Beijing. This work indicates how the preference for taxis can be seen in the north-east of the inner city, but not around employment centres. Equally, a complementary relationship is found between a preference for taxis and public transit that provides useful insights into modal choice at an intra-urban scale. These findings are useful in urban planning and transport management.