Developing a behavioural model for modal shift in commuting

Abstract

Travel patterns of people across Australian cities have been dominated by private cars. As noted by transport researchers, a sustainable transportation system encourages people to make the shift towards non-motorised transport (i.e. public and active transport) and emerging types of transport (i.e. ride-hailing and shared bikes). Using an online questionnaire survey (n = 410), this research reports on the determinants of people’s transition to more sustainable modes of transport in Adelaide, Australia. Further analysis undertaken using a discrete choice model, found that home relocation and job changes were strongly associated with the modal shift of respondents. Younger cohorts were likely to shift away from car usage despite the significant influence in the change in participants’ family composition (i.e. birth of a child), level of education, driving license, dwelling tenure, perceived safety and costs. The significance of this study is that it determined that car dominance can be reduced since there is a willingness of people to opt for non-motorised transport options and other new shared mobility services. The chapter concludes with a varied set of transport policies and strategies addressing different socio-economic groups to increase the share of sustainable mobility, a critical step in moving towards a ‘smarter’ city.