Browsing by Author "Sultana, Shahanaz"

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    Mode and Departure Time Choice Behavior of Non-Work Related Trips
    (2019-01-15) Sultana, Shahanaz; Kattan, Lina; Wirasinghe, Sumedha Chandana; Waters, Nigel M.
    Non-work-related trips comprise a considerable percent of total trips, but there are a limited number of studies that investigate travel behavior related to these trips. This study investigates non-work-related travel behavior in two parts. The first part examines mode choice behavior, while the second part analyzes departure time choice. A Random Regret-Minimization (RRM) approach is applied on stated preference data that was collected in Calgary, Canada. We study mode choice behavior by examining the impacts of various sustainable neighborhood design elements like availability of vegetation/trees or shelter, speed and number of other vehicles on the streets, and the number of major intersections to cross on mode choice. We explore the impact of temperature on the non-work-related trips, particularly on active modes like walking and biking in the Canadian context. Results show that, compared to when the temperature is below 0 °C, respondents are 6% and 8% more likely to make a trip while the temperature is between 0 °C and 10 °C and higher than 10 °C, respectively. Respondents are about 4% more likely to choose an active mode when they have to cross only one or two major intersections compared to when they have to cross three or four major intersections. Respondents are about 21% more likely to choose an active mode when they have to take a road with a low speed limit and few vehicles compared to when they have to travel on roads with a low speed limit and many vehicles. Respondents are about 7% more likely to choose an active mode when they have to travel a path with ample availability of vegetation/trees or shelter compared to travelling a path with a limited availability of vegetation/trees or shelter. The effects of various sociodemographic and travel characteristics on mode choice are also discussed. We also analyzed the impacts of various categories such as individual and household sociodemographic, employment attributes, and trip characteristics on the choice of departure time. The results show that females are more likely than males to depart in afternoons and evenings, whereas males are more likely to depart in the mornings; that trips made by transit with a car and non-motorized vehicle (NMV) access are more likely to occur in the afternoon than trips made with any other travel mode; that respondents are less likely to depart in the afternoon than in the morning under snowy and rainy conditions; that respondents are more likely to depart in the afternoon when the temperature is below 0 °C than when the temperature is above 10 °C; and that respondents are more likely to depart in the afternoon and evening for trips related to grocery shopping, meals, and social/recreational events. Policy level implications of this study’s key findings are also discussed in detail.