Browsing by Subject "Travel Behavior"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Access to Destinations: Application of Accessibility Measures for Non-Auto Travel Modes
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, Research Services Section, 2009-07) Krizek, Kevin J.; Iacono, Michael; El-Geneidy, Ahmed; Liao, Chen Fu; Johns, Robert
    Conventional transportation planning is often focused on improving movement (or mobility)—most often by the automobile. To the extent that accessibility, a well-known concept in the transportation planning field since the 1950s, has been measured or used in transportation planning, such measures have also been auto-based. Broadening the scope of accessibility to include a wide array of destinations and non-auto modes such as walking, cycling, and transit has been previously proposed as a much needed aim among planning initiatives. A central issue is that to date, however, there have been few examples of measures draw from. When it comes to bicycling, walking, and transit measures of accessibility are an endeavor long on rhetoric but short on execution. This report discusses such hurdles, presents alternatives for overcoming them, and demonstrates how accessibility for walking, cycling, and transit—and for different types of destinations—can be reliably measured. We focus on explaining specific features of non-motorized transportation that complicate the development of accessibility measures, and offer solutions that conform to conventional transportation planning practice. In this research project, non-motorized measures of accessibility were developed for the entire seven counties of the Twin Cities (Minnesota, USA) metropolitan area. For purposes of this exposition in this report, we discuss the details of creating such measures using a sample application from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA to demonstrate proof of concept for the endeavor.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Network structure and travel.
    (2011-08) Parthasarathi, Pavithra Kandadai
    Changing the design aspects of urban form is a positive approach to improving transportation. Land use and urban design strategies have been proposed to not only to bring about changes in travel behavior but as a way of providing a better quality of life to the residents. While the research on the relationship between urban form and travel behavior has been pretty extensive, there is a clear gap in the explicit consideration of the underlying transportation network, even though researchers acknowledge its importance. This dissertation aims to continue on the research interest in understanding travel behavior while explicitly accounting for the underlying transportation network structure. Transportation networks have an underlying structure, defined by the layout, arrangement and the connectivity of the individual network elements, namely the road segments and their intersections. The differences in network structure exist among and between networks. This dissertation argues that travelers perceive and respond to these differences in underlying network structure and complexity, resulting in differences in observed travel patterns. This hypothesized relationship between network structure and travel is analyzed in this dissertation using individual and aggregate level travel and network data from metropolitan regions across the U.S. Various measures of network structure, compiled from existing sources, are used to quantify the structure of street networks. The relation between these quantitative measures and travel is then identified using econometric models. The underlying principle of this research is that while the transportation network is not the only indicator of urban form and travel, an understanding of the transportation network structure will provide a good framework for understanding and designing cities. The importance of such an understanding is critical due to the long term and irreversible nature of transportation network decisions. The comprehensive analyses presented in this dissertation provide a clear understanding of the role of network design in influencing travel.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Optimizing a Public Transportation System based on Young Drivers’ Attitudes and the Theory of Planned Behavior Factors
    (PriMera Scientific Publishers, 2023-04) Seecharan, Turuna
    In Duluth, the largest demographic living in poverty is 18-24-year-olds. Drivers within this age range are also over-represented in crash statistics in the state of Minnesota. Further, owning and operating a personal vehicle can be costly, especially for young drivers with no stable or high income. Sustainable commute modes include commuting with low impact on the environment, transporting more than one passenger, or replacing fossil fuels with green energy. Behavioral changes are necessary to get the maximum benefits from sustainable commuting such as encouraging the use of alternative modes of transportation like the public transportation system. Although the benefits of sustainable commuting include saving money, being eco-friendly, and having a positive social impact on society, a survey of 370 18-24-year-old drivers found that 46% choose their vehicle as their primary commuting option. This research explores the perception of young drivers in Duluth toward the use of public transportation. Based on the factors from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the study shows that even if their attitude was favorable and there existed a strong social structure, within Duluth, toward using the bus, control factors exist that impede their decision to use the bus. If these factors are not addressed, then ridership will continue to be low.