Predicting bicycle-on-board transit choice in a university environment

Abstract

Bicycles-on-board (BoB) transit is a popular travel demand management (TDM) tool across many U.S. cities and universities, yet research on this mode within a university environment remains minimal. The purpose of this research is to investigate how personal and neighborhood factors influence this travel choice in a university setting. Relying on attitudinal data from a stated preference survey, this study examined the effect of personal characteristics and seven key neighborhood conditions on the willingness to utilize BoB for the “first mile” of the journey to campus. The study used exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), a discrete choice modeling framework, and geovisualizations to understand the likelihood of choosing this mode among a university population in Flint, Michigan, USA. The results revealed that the majority of constituents were not interested in BoB, aside from a cluster near the commercial business district. Also of note was that long commutes, and reduced access to parks and bicycle facilities dissuaded people from choosing this mode. Surprisingly, a neighborhood’s walkability or bikeability had no effect on respondent’s interest in using BoB. Lastly, the geovisualizations showcased where localized interventions may effectively increase this mode choice in the future.