PREDICTING TRAVEL MODE CHOICE FOR THE WORK JOURNEY

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES BRIEFLY THE WORK DONE IN DEVELOPING A MODEL OF TRAVEL MODE CHOICE. THE MODEL THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED REPRODUCED EXISTING CONDITIONS TO A FAIRLY HIGH DEGREE OF ACCURACY, IN THE LIMITED TESTS TO WHICH IT HAS BEEN SUBJECTED. IN THE PAST, MOST MODELS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AS A STAGE IN A TRAFFIC STUDY FOR A PARTICULAR AREA. AS SUCH THE MODELS ARE REQUIRED TO FIT INTO AN EXISTING FORECASTING PROCESS AND THE USE VARIABLES FOR WHICH DATA HAVE ALREADY BEEN COLLECTED. THE AUTHOR OF THIS PAPER DECIDED TO APPROACH THE PROBLEM DIFFERENTLY, AND DETERMINE FIRST OF ALL WHAT REASONS PEOPLE CONSCIOUSLY USE TO DECIDE WHICH TRAVEL MODE TO USE. A SURVEY WAS CARRIED OUT TO COLLECT DETAILS OF THE USUAL TRAVEL HABITS, INCLUDING TRAVEL TIMES AND COSTS, AND A QUESTION WAS ASKED TO DETERMINE ALL THE REASONS WHICH INFLUENCED THE CHOICE OF MODE FOR THE WORK JOURNEY. A SECOND SURVEY WAS ALSO MADE TO PROVIDE A CHECK. FROM AN EXAMINATION OF ALL THE REASONS GIVEN AND THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE GIVING EACH REASON, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS ARE TRAVEL TIME, TRAVEL COST, COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE. /AUTHOR/