NONWORK AND OFF-PEAK TRIPS BY TRANSIT, WALK AND BICYCLE MODES -- AN UNDERSTANDING OF EXISTING AND POTENTIAL MARKETS

This study identifies the characteristics of neighborhoods that contribute to off-peak transit, walk or bike use. The emphasis is on off-peak and nonwork trips and how to promote modes other than the automobile. By producing thirty maps illustrating socioeconomic and travel behavior patterns in the Chicago area, the potential for stabilizing and then increasing the utilization of these modes is examined. Substantial amounts of data were processed and reported. For example, off-peak trips, accounting for 48% of daily travel, are shorter than trips during the peak (in miles and minutes) for travel by both public transit and by private vehicle. Regionally, walking trips vary from 42% of all trips made by Chicago central business district (CBD) residents (mainly to shop and work), 17% in the rest of the city and less than 5% in suburban Chicago. Bicycle ownership is related to the number of vehicles in the household, household income, household size and distance from the Chicago CBD. These data and field observations of three case-study neighborhoods revealed that differences in modes used are related to the land-use patterns and the socioeconomic characteristics of the resident population. While areas with low automobile ownership rates might suggest walking and bicycling, these nonmotorized modes are more common in affluent neighborhoods with a large number of nearby commercial and recreational destinations.