Understanding better the influential factors of commuters’ multi-day travel behavior: Evidence from Shanghai, China

Abstract

Alleviating traffic congestion and developing sustainable transportation systems in a city can be assisted by promoting environmentally friendly transportation modes such as walking, cycling, and public transport. Strategies for promoting these desirable transportation modes can be identified based on a sound understanding of how commuters choose travel modes. In this study, multi-day commuting travel mode data was used to explore factors that influenced commute mode choice. A multinomial logit model and a binary logit model were proposed to study commuter travel behavior. The results showed the following. (1) Age, gender, and marriage indirectly influence the commute mode choice; (2) The cost of travel mode has little effect on commute mode choice; (3) The probability of commute mode change mainly influences the car mode choice; (4) The number of transfer times and the distance to the nearest public transport stations are main factors that restrict commuters from choosing public transport; (5) The number of bicycles in the family and commute distance are main factors that restrict commuters from choosing cycling for commuting. Based on these findings, several potential measures are demonstrated to policymakers and transportation planners to alleviate traffic congestion and develop sustainable transportation systems.