Nonwork Trips Associated with Transit-Oriented Development

An analysis of factors associated with nonwork trips was conducted. The key variable of interest was proximity to transit-oriented development areas around train stations in New Jersey. The data were derived from a questionnaire of households around eight train stations and stratified by distance from a station. The focus was on the mode used for trips to restaurants–coffee shops and grocery–food stores, two of the most common and frequent nonwork trips. The analysis focused on the choice of walking versus driving for these trips by using an instrumental variable probit model aimed at controlling for the endogeneity associated with self-selection bias (i.e., people who prefer not to drive choose more walkable neighborhoods). Results showed strong associations between proximity to transit-oriented development areas and walking trips, and these results hold when endogeneity is controlled for. Local street density and per capita vehicle ownership also had the expected effects on walking trips.