Understand the Multi-Level Effects of the Built Environment on Trip-Chaining Behavior

The debate on the effects of the built environment (BE) on travel behavior has been ongoing despite a large number of studies completed in the past three decades. This study aims to inform the debate by extending the BE–travel behavior investigation to the scope of trip-chaining. Specifically, the study conceptualized the contexture frame for the relationship of BE attributes and trip-chain travel behavior and estimated 2-level hierarchical linear models (HLM) of chained trip tours with travel survey data from the Puget Sound region. The results show that travelers who live in areas with better transit access, higher residential and non-residential density, and higher level of land use mixture generated low percentage of miles traveled by vehicle (PVMT) during their daily tours. Furthermore, considering the cross-level interactive effect, the study demonstrates that the impacts of the non-residential density at work location and the residential density at home location on PVMT are moderated by vehicle ownership.