An exploratory analysis of relationships between socioeconomic, land use, activity participation variables and travel patterns

This paper aims to find relations between the socioeconomic characteristics, activity participation, land use patterns and travel behavior of the residents in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA) by using Exploratory Multivariate Data Analysis (EMDA) techniques. The variables influencing travel pattern choices are investigated using: (a) Cluster Analysis (CA), grouping and characterizing the Traffic Zones (17), proposing the independent variable called Origin Cluster and, (b) Decision Tree (DT) to find a priori unknown relations among socioeconomic characteristics, land use attributes of the origin TZ and destination choices. The analysis was based on the origin-destination home-interview survey carried out in SPMA in 1997. The DT application revealed the variables of greatest influence on the travel pattern choice. The most important independent variable considered by DT is car ownership, followed by the Use of Transportation ""credits"" for Transit tariff, and, finally, activity participation variables and Origin Cluster. With these results, it was possible to analyze the influence of a family income, car ownership, position of the individual in the family, use of transportation ""credits"" for transit tariff (mainly for travel mode sequence choice), activities participation (activity sequence choice) and Origin Cluster (destination/travel distance choice). (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Travellers' profile, travel patterns and vaccine practices-a 10-year prospective study in a Swiss Travel Clinic.

BACKGROUND: The travel clinic in Lausanne serves a catchment area of 700 000 of inhabitants and provides pre- and post-travel consultations. This study describes the profile of attendees before departure, their travel patterns and the travel clinic practices in terms of vaccination over time. METHODS: We included all pre-travel first consultation data recorded between November 2002 and December 2012 by a custom-made program DIAMM/G. We analysed client profiles, travel characteristics and vaccinations prescribed over time. RESULTS: Sixty-five thousand and forty-six client-trips were recorded. Fifty-one percent clients were female. Mean age was 32 years. In total, 0.1% were aged <1 year and 0.2% &#8805;80 years. Forty-six percent of travellers had pre-existing medical conditions. Forty-six percent were travelling to Africa, 35% to Asia, 20% to Latin America and 1% (each) to Oceania and Europe; 19% visited more than one country. India was the most common destination (9.6% of travellers) followed by Thailand (8.6%) and Kenya (6.4%). Seventy-three percent of travellers were planning to travel for &#8804;&#8201;4 weeks. The main reasons for travel were tourism (75%) and visiting friends and relatives (18%). Sixteen percent were backpackers. Pre-travel advice were sought a median of 29 days before departure. Ninety-nine percent received vaccine(s). The most frequently administered vaccines were hepatitis A (53%), tetanus-diphtheria (46%), yellow fever (39%), poliomyelitis (38%) and typhoid fever (30%). CONCLUSIONS: The profile of travel clinic attendees was younger than the general Swiss population. A significant proportion of travellers received vaccinations that are recommended in the routine national programme. These findings highlight the important role of travel clinics to (i) take care of an age group that has little contact with general practitioners and (ii) update vaccination status. The most commonly prescribed travel-related vaccines were for hepatitis A and yellow fever. The question remains to know whether clients do attend travel clinics because of compulsory vaccinations or because of real travel health concern or both.

NPTS urban travel patterns. 1990 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS).

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.

Travel patterns and transit needs of women /

"Performing organization: Moore Johnson, Inc."--Technical report documentation page.

Understanding Immigrants' Travel Behavior in Florida: Neighborhood Effects and Behavioral Assimilation

The goal of this study was to develop Multinomial Logit models for the mode choice behavior of immigrants, with key focuses on neighborhood effects and behavioral assimilation. The first aspect shows the relationship between social network ties and immigrants��� chosen mode of transportation, while the second aspect explores the gradual changes toward alternative mode usage with regard to immigrants��� migrating period in the United States (US). Mode choice models were developed for work, shopping, social, recreational, and other trip purposes to evaluate the impacts of various land use patterns, neighborhood typology, socioeconomic-demographic and immigrant related attributes on individuals��� travel behavior. Estimated coefficients of mode choice determinants were compared between each alternative mode (i.e., high-occupancy vehicle, public transit, and non-motorized transport) with single-occupant vehicles. The model results revealed the significant influence of neighborhood and land use variables on the usage of alternative modes among immigrants. Incorporating these indicators into the demand forecasting process will provide a better understanding of the diverse travel patterns for the unique composition of population groups in Florida.

THE INFLUENCE OF URBAN FORM AT DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL SCALES ON TRAVEL BEHAVIOR; EVIDENCE FROM U.S. CITIES

Suburban lifestyle is popular among American families, although it has been criticized for encouraging automobile use through longer commutes, causing heavy traffic congestion, and destroying open spaces (Handy, 2005). It is a serious concern that people living in low-density suburban areas suffer from high automobile dependency and lower rates of daily physical activity, both of which result in social, environmental and health-related costs. In response to such concerns, researchers have investigated the inter-relationships between urban land-use pattern and travel behavior within the last few decades and suggested that land-use planning can play a significant role in changing travel behavior in the long-term. However, debates regarding the magnitude and efficiency of the effects of land-use on travel patterns have been contentious over the years. Changes in built-environment patterns is potentially considered a long-term panacea for automobile dependency and traffic congestion, despite some researchers arguing that the effects of land-use on travel behavior are minor, if any. It is still not clear why the estimated impact is different in urban areas and how effective a proposed land-use change/policy is in changing certain travel behavior. This knowledge gap has made it difficult for decision-makers to evaluate land-use plans and policies. In addition, little is known about the influence of the large-scale built environment. In the present dissertation, advanced spatial-statistical tools have been employed to better understand and analyze these impacts at different scales, along with analyzing transit-oriented development policy at both small and large scales. The objective of this research is to: (1) develop scalable and consistent measures of the overall physical form of metropolitan areas; (2) re-examine the effects of built-environment factors at different hierarchical scales on travel behavior, and, in particular, on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and car ownership; and (3) investigate the effects of transit-oriented development on travel behavior. The findings show that changes in built-environment at both local and regional levels could be very influential in changing travel behavior. Specifically, the promotion of compact, mixed-use built environment with well-connected street networks reduces VMT and car ownership, resulting in less traffic congestion, air pollution, and energy consumption.

An agent-based approach to modelling driver route choice behaviour under the influence of real-time information

This paper presents an agent-based approach to modelling individual driver behaviour under the influence of real-time traffic information. The driver behaviour models developed in this study are based on a behavioural survey of drivers which was conducted on a congested commuting corridor in Brisbane, Australia. Commuters' responses to travel information were analysed and a number of discrete choice models were developed to determine the factors influencing drivers' behaviour and their propensity to change route and adjust travel patterns. Based on the results obtained from the behavioural survey, the agent behaviour parameters which define driver characteristics, knowledge and preferences were identified and their values determined. A case study implementing a simple agent-based route choice decision model within a microscopic traffic simulation tool is also presented. Driver-vehicle units (DVUs) were modelled as autonomous software components that can each be assigned a set of goals to achieve and a database of knowledge comprising certain beliefs, intentions and preferences concerning the driving task. Each DVU provided route choice decision-making capabilities, based on perception of its environment, that were similar to the described intentions of the driver it represented. The case study clearly demonstrated the feasibility of the approach and the potential to develop more complex driver behavioural dynamics based on the belief-desire-intention agent architecture. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelo SIG para apoio �� an��lise de sistemas de transportes e usos do solo

Disserta����o de natureza cient��fica para obten����o do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil

Evaluation of Different Methods to Calculate Heavy-Truck VMT, Final Report, December 2004

Reliable estimates of heavy-truck volumes are important in a number of transportation applications. Estimates of truck volumes are necessary for pavement design and pavement management. Truck volumes are important in traffic safety. The number of trucks on the road also influences roadway capacity and traffic operations. Additionally, heavy vehicles pollute at higher rates than passenger vehicles. Consequently, reliable estimates of heavy-truck vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are important in creating accurate inventories of on-road emissions. This research evaluated three different methods to calculate heavy-truck annual average daily traffic (AADT) which can subsequently be used to estimate vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Traffic data from continuous count stations provided by the Iowa DOT were used to estimate AADT for two different truck groups (single-unit and multi-unit) using the three methods. The first method developed monthly and daily expansion factors for each truck group. The second and third methods created general expansion factors for all vehicles. Accuracy of the three methods was compared using n-fold cross-validation. In n-fold cross-validation, data are split into n partitions, and data from the nth partition are used to validate the remaining data. A comparison of the accuracy of the three methods was made using the estimates of prediction error obtained from cross-validation. The prediction error was determined by averaging the squared error between the estimated AADT and the actual AADT. Overall, the prediction error was the lowest for the method that developed expansion factors separately for the different truck groups for both single- and multi-unit trucks. This indicates that use of expansion factors specific to heavy trucks results in better estimates of AADT, and, subsequently, VMT, than using aggregate expansion factors and applying a percentage of trucks. Monthly, daily, and weekly traffic patterns were also evaluated. Significant variation exists in the temporal and seasonal patterns of heavy trucks as compared to passenger vehicles. This suggests that the use of aggregate expansion factors fails to adequately describe truck travel patterns.

The Economics of Reducing the County Road System: Three Case Studies in Iowa, HR-242, 1986

This research project looked at the economic benefits and costs associated with alternative strategies for abandoning low volume rural highways and bridges. Three test counties in Iowa were studied, each 100 square miles in size: Hamilton County having a high agricultural tax base and a high percentage of paved roads and few bridges; Shelby County having a relatively low agricultural tax base, hilly terrain and a low percentage of paved road and many bridges; and Linn County having a high agricultural tax base, a high percentage of paved roads and a large number of non-farm households. A questionnaire survey was undertaken to develop estimates of farm and household travel patterns. Benefits and costs associated with the abandonment of various segments of rural highway and bridge mileages in each county were calculated. "Benefits" calculated were reduced future reconstruction and maintenance costs, whereas "costs" were the added cost of travel resulting from the reduced mileage. Some of the findings suggest limited cost savings from abandonment of county roads with no property access in areas with large non-farm rural population; relatively high cost savings from the abandonment of roads with no property access in areas with small rural population; and the largest savings from the conversion of public dead-end gravel roads with property or residence accesses to private drives.

Key quality factors and travellers profiles at interurban interchanges

La planificaci��n y las pol��ticas de transporte no pueden descuidar la calidad del servicio, considerando que influye notablemente en el cambio modal del coche hacia otros medios de transporte m��s sostenibles. El concepto se aplica tambi��n a los intercambiadores de transporte p��blico, los nodos del sistema donde se cruzan las distintas redes del transporte p��blico y privado. Aunque se han logrado numerosos avances para medir y evaluar la calidad en el sector del transporte p��blico, se han dedicado relativamente pocos esfuerzos a investigar estos aspectos relacionados con la calidad de los intercambiadores del transporte p��blico. Este trabajo de investigaci��n se concentra en la calidad del servicio de la transferencia modal en los intercambiadores interurbanos, seg��n la perspectiva de los viajeros. Su objetivo es identificar los factores clave de la calidad del servicio y los perfiles de los viajeros en los intercambiadores. La investigaci��n es exploratoria y ofrece informaci��n acerca de la percepci��n de los viajeros intermodales relacionada con los aspectos de la calidad, aportando nuevos elementos y datos para adentrarse en estudios m��s detallados. La metodolog��a del trabajo combina t��cnicas de an��lisis estad��stico multivariante para analizar los datos de las encuestas sobre la satisfacci��n de los clientes y se subdivide en tres etapas. En primer lugar, se ha implementado el an��lisis de correspondencias m��ltiples para explorar los constructos latentes relacionados con la satisfacci��n de las caracter��sticas cualitativas de los intercambiadores interurbanos, identificando as�� los factores clave de la calidad. En segundo lugar, se ha aplicado un an��lisis de conglomerados de k-medias sobre los factores clave de calidad para clasificar a los viajeros en grupos de usuarios de transportes homog��neos, de acuerdo con su percepci��n de satisfacci��n, identificando de este modo los perfiles de los viajeros. Por ��ltimo, se han formulado sugerencias y recomendaciones sobre la calidad para respaldar la formulaci��n de pol��ticas, estableciendo las prioridades para los intercambiadores interurbanos. La metodolog��a se aplic�� en cuatro intercambiadores interurbanos (estaciones de ferrocarriles o de autobuses ) en Madrid, Zaragoza, Gothenburg y Lion, analizando los datos recogidos mediante una encuesta de satisfacci��n del cliente llevada a cabo en 2011 en los cuatro casos de estudio, donde se interconectan distintos medios de transporte p��blico y privado, de corta y larga distancia. Se recogieron datos sobre la satisfacci��n de los viajeros con 26 criterios de calidad, as�� como informaci��n sobre aspectos socio-econ��micos y pautas de comportamiento de viajes. Mediante el an��lisis de correspondencias m��ltiples se identificaron 4-5 factores clave de calidad en cada intercambiador, que se asocian principalmente con el sistema de emisi��n de billetes, el confort y la interconexi��n, mientras que los viajeros no perciben los temas cl��sicos como la informaci��n. Mediante el an��lisis de conglomerados se identificaron 2-5 perfiles de viajeros en cada intercambiador. Se reconocieron dos grupos de viajeros en casi todos los casos de estudio: viajeros de cercan��a/trabajadores y turistas. Por lo que concierne a las prioridades para apoyar a las partes interesadas en la formulaci��n de pol��ticas, la expedici��n de billetes es el factor clave para los intercambiadores interurbanos espa��oles, mientras que la interconexi��n y los aspectos temporales se destacan en los intercambiadores de Francia y Suecia. Quality of Service can not be neglected in public transport planning and policy making, since it strongly influences modal shifts from car to more sustainable modes. This concept is also related to Public Transport interchanges, the nodes of the transport system where the different sub-systems of public passenger transport and personal vehicles meet. Although a lot of progress has been generally done to measure and assess quality in public transport sector, relatively little investigation has been conducted on quality at PT interchanges. This research work focusses on Quality of Service in the use of transfer facilities at interurban interchanges, according to current travellers��� perspective. It aims at identifying key quality factors and travellers profiles at interurban interchanges. The research is exploratory and offers insight into intermodal travellers��� perception on quality aspects, providing new elements and inputs for more definitive investigation. The methodology of the work combines multivariate statistical techniques to analyse data from customer satisfaction surveys and is subdivided in three steps. Firstly, multiple correspondence analysis was performed to explore latent constructs as concern satisfaction of quality attributes at interurban interchanges, thus identifying the so-called Key Quality Factor. Secondly, k-means cluster analysis was implemented on the key quality factors to classify travellers in homogeneous groups of transport users, according to their perception of satisfaction, thus identifying the so-called Travellers Profiles. Finally, hints and recommendations on quality were identified to support policy making, setting priorities for interurban interchanges. The methodology was applied at four interurban interchanges in Madrid, Zaragoza, Gothenburg and Lyon, analysing the data collected through a customer satisfaction survey carried out in 2011 at the four railway or bus stations where different modes of public and private transport are interconnected covering both short and long trips. Data on travellers��� satisfaction with 26 quality attributes were collected, as well as information on socio-economical and travel patterns. Through multiple correspondence analysis were identified 4-5 key quality factors per interchange. They are mainly related to ticketing, comfort and connectivity, while classical issues, as information, are not perceived as important by travellers���. Through cluster analysis were identified 2-5 travellers profiles per interchange. Two groups of travellers can be found in almost all case studies: commuter / business travellers and holiday travellers. As regards the priorities to support stakeholders in policy making, ticketing is the key-issue for the Spanish interurban interchanges, while connectivity and temporal issues emerge in the French and Swedish case studies.

Assessment methodology to make urban transport interchanges attractive for users

En las ciudades europeas, los patrones de movilidad son cada vez m��s complejos debido fundamentalmente a un crecimiento sostenido de la poblaci��n as�� como a la tendencia de dispersi��n de los n��cleos urbanos. En consecuencia, muchos de los usuarios del transporte p��blico se ven obligados a combinar varios modos o servicios de transporte para completar sus viajes diarios. Por tanto, el mayor reto de las ciudades es conseguir una mejora e incremento en la movilidad mientras que al mismo tiempo se reducen problemas como la congesti��n, los accidentes y la contaminaci��n (COM, 2006). Un principio b��sico para lograr una movilidad sostenible es reducir los inconvenientes y molestias derivados de la transferencia o ruptura del viaje. En este sentido, los intercambiadores de transporte p��blico juegan un papel fundamental como nodos de la red urbana de transporte y la calidad del servicio prestado en ellos tiene una influencia directa sobre la experiencia diaria de los viajeros. Como se��al�� Terzis and Last (2002), un intercambiador de transportes urbano eficiente debe ser competitivo y al mismo tiempo, debe ser atractivo para los usuarios dado que sus experiencias f��sicas y sus reacciones psicol��gicas se ven influenciadas de manera significativa por el dise��o y operaci��n del intercambiador. Sin embargo, todav��a no existen standards o normativas a nivel europeo que especifiquen como deber��an ser estos intercambiadores. Esta tesis doctoral proporciona conocimientos y herramientas de an��lisis dirigidas a planificadores y gestores de los propios intercambiadores con el fin de entender mejor el funcionamiento de los intercambiadores y gestionar as�� los recursos disponibles. As�� mismo, esta tesis identifica los factores clave en el dise��o y operaci��n de intercambiadores urbanos de transporte y proporciona algunas gu��as generales de planificaci��n en base a ellos. Dado que las percepciones de los usuarios son particularmente importantes para definir pol��ticas adecuadas para intercambiadores, se dise���� y se llev�� a cabo en 2013 una encuesta de satisfacci��n al viajero en tres intercambiadores de transporte urbano europeos: Moncloa (Madrid, Espa��a), Kamppi (Helsinki, Finlandia) e Ilford Railway Station ( Londres, Reino Unido). En resumen, esta tesis pone de relieve la naturaleza ambivalente de los intercambiadores urbanos de transporte, es decir, como nodos de la red de transporte y como lugares en s�� mismos donde los usuarios pasan tiempo dentro de ellos y propone algunas recomendaciones para hacer m��s atractivos los intercambiadores a los usuarios. Travel patterns in European urban areas are becoming increasingly complex due to a sustained increase in the urban population and the trend towards urban sprawl. Consequently, many public transport users need to combine several modes or transport services to complete their daily trips. Therefore, the challenge facing all major cities is how to increase mobility while at the same time reducing congestion, accididents and pollution (COM, 2006). Reducing the inconvenience inherent in transferring between modes is a basic principle for achieving sustainable mobility. In this regard, transport interchanges play a key role as urban transport network nodes, and the quality of the service provided in them has a direct influence on travellers' daily experience. As noted by Terzis and Last (2000), an efficient urban transport interchange must be competitive and, at the same time, be attractive for users given that their physical experiences and psychological reactions are significantly influenced by the design and operation of the interchange. However, yet there are no standards or regulations specifying the form these interchanges should take in Europe. This doctoral thesis provides knowledge and analysis tools addressed to developers and managers in order to understand better the performance of an urban transport interchange and manage the available resources properly. Likewise, key factors of the design and operation of urban transport interchanges are identified and some 'Planning guidelines' are proposed on the basis on them. Since the users' perceptions of their experience are particularly important for achieving the most appropriate policy measures for interchanges, an ad���hoc travellers' satisfaction survey was designed and carried out in 2013 at three European transport interchanges: Moncloa (Madrid, Spain), Kamppi (Helsinki, Finland) and Ilford Railway Station (London, United Kingdom) In summary, this thesis highlights the ambivalent nature of the urban transport interchanges, i.e. as nodes within the transport network and as places where users spending time and proposes some policy recommendations in order to make urban transport interchanges attractive for users.

Modeling Seasonal and Weather Impacts on Cycling Count

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06