Park-And-Ride Station Choice Behavior In A Multimodal Network With Overlapping Routes

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to provide insight into the travel behavior and preferences of park-and-ride (PNR) users in the Twin Cities. From an on-board survey conducted by Metro Transit in 2016, 1,690 PNR user’s route choices are used to estimate a discrete choice model. Precise coordinates of their origin, destination, and parking location enable the calculation of travel time experienced by each PNR user, as well as aspects of their transit path, such as walking time, waiting time, and required number of transfers. Further, attributes of each PNR facility are used to model preferences for quality of service. A contribution of this thesis is the consideration of overlapping routes. While previous literature on station choice has investigated the relationship between routes that share a transit path, no studies specific to PNR choice have considered the matter. In this study, route overlap is measured using a path size factor and a nested logit model. The estimated models show significant evidence that commute time spent in a car is approximately four times more burdensome than the same amount of time spent in public transit. Evidence is shown that PNR users do not strictly minimize total travel time in choosing their commute route. Ultimately, the best-fitting model correctly predicts the PNR choice for 64% of users in a test sample. This study is extended to define commuter travelsheds for commuters to the University of Minnesota using the previously estimated multinomial logit model. Upon assigning each Travel Analysis Zone (TAZ) in the Twin Cities metropolitan area to a given PNR travelshed, the total population served by each PNR facility is inferred. This analysis may interest planners wanting to measure competition between PNR facilities as well as their relative attractiveness.