Activity and travel choice(s) in multimodal public transport systems

Abstract

Transport planners and policymakers are increasingly considering multimodal public transport and travel demand management (TDM) strategies to stem the unsustainable travel behaviour trends associated with modern-day, car-dominated travel. Multimodal public transport, however, implies that people change transport mode, which may mean that they can no longer implement their usual activity patterns, perhaps even resulting in increased car use. The quality of public transport is determined not only by the quality of the main transport mode, but also by the before (access) and after (egress) modes. The interconnectivity of the different modes also becomes important in order to realise a trip. An important question from a policy perspective is, therefore, how people make decisions regarding location, activity scheduling and mode choice when faced with multimodal public transport alternatives. These decisions span different time horizons; the long-, medium- and short-term implications of multimodal public transport are addressed in the AMADEUS research programme, of which this dissertation forms part. National travel survey data for The Netherlands were used to address some of the research questions. An extensive activity diary data collection exercise was undertaken during April to September 2000 in the Utrecht-Almere-Amsterdam urban region of The Netherlands to collect detailed, multimodal activity-travel data. The data collection exercise relied on a specifically designed activity travel diary to capture the detailed stages of public transport. The results suggest that multimodal public transport users have distinctly different characteristics compared to other transport mode users. Considering the relationship between the different time elements, it was found that access, egress and line-haul times are not necessarily influenced by the same variables, while the interconnectivity ratio (access plus egress divided by total trip time) showed different distribution curves for different multimodal chains. Assuming that people make least uncertain decisions first, the results suggest that mode choice ranks lower on the chain of travel behaviour decisions and that individuals make activity scheduling and participation decisions before they make mode choice decisions. The results of this dissertation can be used to inform planners and policymakers about the implications of public transport and travel behaviour.