Research project CP/42 (Research action CP)
Context
Society is becoming increasingly complex. People have to combine different activities during one day. When these activities are spatially separated, people have to make chain trips to combine them. This results in complex transport chains (Toint et al, 2000, final report SPSDI). The car is a suitable means of transportation to combine trips such as travel to work, drop children, shopping etc. A policy of sustainable mobility might be interested in how to replace these complex car trips by more sustainable trips by public transport, bicycle, walking...
During the previous SPSD-programme, a National Survey on Travel Behaviour was held and the data have been analysed. In this project the same data will be used to examine determinants of modal choice in trip chains . A first attempt to calculate and characterise a potential for a more sustainable modal split will be made.
Project description
Objectives
The first objective is the further exploitation and evaluation of the data collected during the National Survey on Travel Behaviour (SPSD I).
The second objective is the development of a scientific base for sustainable mobility policy, through the development of policy indicators on sustainability characteristics of trips.
The focus is on trip chains of individuals and households and the potential of changing less sustainable trips (in terms of modal choice, trip distance...) into more sustainable trips.
Especially three types of determinants will be focused on socio-economic characteristics of households, location of activities and availability of alternatives.
Methodology
Problem definition
An overview is made of existing literature, research and data about modal split and modal choice (analysis of documents).
Next the possibilities to put them into operation by means of variables in the data set will be evaluated.
Technical preparation
For each trip in the national data set (15000 in total) not performed by public transport, the optimal alternative route by public transport has to be looked up and essential characteristics such as duration, number of transfers, distance to the stops... of this route have to be added to the database. For this, the full co-operation of all public transport providers is crucial.
Analysing the data
Description of trip chains
This has been done already in the previous SPSD-programme. The intention is to use this approach, but a more detailed analysis of the modal choice variable within the patterns is necessary.
Household constraints
The "intra-household" constraints are the constraints put on an individual's modal choice given the availability of transportation means (car, cycle or public transport tickets) within the household. The intention is to determine combinations of these variables that entail specific modal choices and the degree with which a household can alter its choices.
(Responsible: Research Group of Transportation of the University of Namur (GRT))
Location
In this part of the research, the impact of location on the travel behaviour will be examined. More particularly, the real travel resistance in terms of travel time and travel distance, as it appears from the survey, will be compared to the theoretical travel time and travel distance computed from the public transport time tables and the shortest path computations. Through correlation computations and regression analyses, significance of (objective and subjective) factors affecting the travel time and distance, will be computed. Further classifications will be based on discriminant analysis and logistic regression. This will allow a more thorough classification of modal choices based on time and space variables.
(Responsible: Spatial Applications Division Louvain (SADL))
Modus
For each trip some key characteristics concerning possible alternatives have been added to the data set. These characteristics have to be synthesised for the whole trip chain. Starting from these chain characteristics and the information gathered in a previous phase about ‘critical values’ the potential for a modal shift will be calculated.
In a next phase a link will be made with some characteristics of individuals (and optionally of households).
(Responsible: Langzaam Verkeer (LV)).
Interaction between the different partners
The three mentioned partners are working together intensively on the collection and structuring of the data. GRT delivers the survey data and a methodology to analyse chain trips. SADL co-ordinates the collection and input of travel information that has to be retrieved from the transportation companies. LV is the general co-ordinator.
Link with international programmes
This project uses the data of the Belgian National Survey on Travel Behaviour, held in 1999-2000. The design and methodology of this National Survey was based on the findings of the European projects ‘TEST’ and ‘MEST’. These European projects took place in the Fourth Framework Programme of the European Commission. MEST dealt with the methodological aspects of surveys on long distance trips. It was followed by TEST, which studied the use of modern technologies in this kind of surveys.
Expected results and/or products
- A complete overview of actual modal choice: description and explanation.
- An (empirically verified) overview of determinants of modal choice in trip chains, especially household constraints, location and offer.
- A better insight in and description of possible target group(s) for mobility management.
- Scientific final report.
- Report for policy makers focusing on practical results.
- Articles in professional journals.
- A seminar.
- Exchange of results with project SAMBA.
Partners
Activities
Langzaam Verkeer (co-ordinator) has been studying and supervising traffic programs and projects since 1982. The multidisciplinary staff is divided into three departments: Research and Policy Preparation, Planning and Design, and Training and Communication. The Research and Policy Preparation Department, in charge of this project, conducts research and consultancy on themes such as traffic safety and viability, public and collective transport, and mobility management, but also looks for the interfaces between mobility and other social sectors such as, for example, environmental planning, social inequality, work, leisure time, telematics and economic activities. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are used.
The "Spatial Application Division Leuven" (SADL, Catholic University of Louvain) combines scientific services, applied research and professional education in the domain of GIS and Remote Sensing. Due to its academic relations, the division disposes of important technical and managerial GIS-, database and Earth Observation-expertise and important thematic expertise in the fields of amongst others urban and regional planning, traffic transport management and spatial statistics. The activities are mainly situated in:
- Training and education concerning GIS.
- GIS in mobility and transport.
- GIS in spatial planning.
- GIS in agriculture and environmental studies.
- Construction and management of GIS-databases and applications.
The Transportation Research Group (GRT, Mathematics Department, Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix of Namur), has worked on various mathematical methods to study transportation related problems. The GRT does methodological and theoretical research but is also concerned with their application to specific cases.
The GRT achieved researches including, mathematical modelling, dynamic assignment models, demand analysis, the study of activity chains, discrete choice models and behavioural aspects of mobility. Its modelling activities lead the GRT to be aware of the problems caused by the lack of data needed for providing models. Therefore, the GRT also takes interest in survey studies. It analysed the methodologies to undertake travel surveys, co-ordinated the first Belgian mobility survey and achieved many statistical analyses about survey data.
Contact Information
Promoter
Jos Zuallaert and Tim Asperges
Langzaam Verkeer vzw.
J.P. Minckelersstraat 43A, B-3000 Leuven
Tel: +32 (0)16 23 94 65; Fax: +32 (0)16 29 02 10
tim.asperges@Langzaamverkeer.be
http://www.langzaamverkeer.be
Partners
Thérèse Steenberghen
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KULeuven)
Spatial Application Division Leuven (SADL)
Vital Decosterstraat 102, B-3000 Leuven
Tel: +32 (0)16 32 97 32; Fax: +32 (0)16 32 19 84
Therese.Steenberghen@sadl.kuleuven.ac.be
http://www.sadl.kuleuven.ac.be
Philippe Toint and Arnaud Luyckx
Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix de Namur (FUNDP)
Groupe de Recherche sur les Transports (GRT)
8, rempart de la Vierge, B-5000 Namen
Tel: +32 (0)81 72 49 09; Fax: +32 (0)81 72 49 14
aluyckx@math.fundp.ac.be
http://www.grt.be
Users Committee
Krista Van Hoof, Geert Claessens et Hans Verbruggen - Langzaam Verkeer (LV)
Thérèse Steenberghen et Stefaan Vande Walle - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - SADL
Arnaud Luyckx et Eric Cornelis - FUNDP - GRT
Hilde Van Dongen et George Jamart - OSTC
Marc Tuypens - NMBS/SNCB
Jean-Claude Phlypo en Gerard Petre - TEC
Eddy Minnaert, Roger Kesteloot, en Axel De Vos - De Lijn
Pas déterminé - MIVB/STIB
Nancy Da Silva - Ministère federal de l’Environnement
Eric Bulon - MIC
Damien Borsu - MET
Wilfried Goossens - Région Flamande
Alain Broes et Philippe Barette - Région Bruxelles Capitale
Bram Dousselaere - Représentant du syndicat des utilisateurs de transports publics
Not defined - INS
Determinanten van modale keuze in ketenverplaatsingen : eindrapport
Vleugels, Ilse - Beyst, Veerle - Asperges, Tim ... et al Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2007 (SP1741)
[To download]
[To order]
Determinanten van modale keuze in ketenverplaatsingen : samenvatting
Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2007 (SP1742)
[To download]
Déterminants des choix modaux dans les chaînes de déplacements : résumé
Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2007 (SP1743)
[To download]
Determinants of choice of mode in trips and trip chains : summary
Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2007 (SP1744)
[To download]
