Assessing Travel Behavior variation in Transit-served areas –

Abstract

India's urban population grew significantly and travel habits are being significantly impacted. Rapid urbanization in Indian cities has brought about heavy traffic and pollution, and there is growing reliance on private vehicles. Further, Metro Rail Policy, 2017 has facilitated the development of metro-based transit systems around the nation. Earlier before 2014, five Indian cities had even a modest 229 km of metro rail systems, while as of April 2023, 860 km of metro lines have developed across 20 cities. However, most cities' metro usage has remained low, often accounting for <10% of the expected passengers. As of December 2022, not a single Indian city had reached the ridership targets, with several cities finding it difficult to reach the targets. So, it becomes essential to study what are the possible reasons behind it. TOD can influence a shift towards public transportation and numerous publications on TOD are related to travel behavior. However, majority of research concentrates on the mode preferences of inhabitants at their origin, ignoring crucial information regarding destinations. Moreover, previous research tends to focus mostly on work trips, ignoring non-work trips, which account for a large amount of daily travel. So, the study tends to focus on three broad research questions: Firstly, what is the difference in the modal share of metro for various purposes among people residing around metro catchment areas? Secondly, how does destination play a role in preference of the metro? Thirdly, what are the differences in perception of barriers and facilitators among different user groups in metro usage? The study aims to assess the variations in travel behavior in transit-served areas among different user groups to enhance metro ridership. To achieve this, three broad objectives need to be achieved. Firstly, to identify factors that are suitable for assessing variations in travel behavior around metro stations. Secondly, to analyze how travel behavior varies across the factors through suitable methods and understand what problems people face. Thirdly, to recommend planning measures for improving access and enhancing metro ridership while promoting inclusivity. This study tends to focus on understanding the travel behavior of individuals residing in areas served by the metro taking the case of Ahmedabad. Identification of travel behavior variables is done through literature, and three metro station areas are selected based on factors such as urban character, built density, and proximity to the city center, and 800m is selected as the buffer radius. The study included both primary surveys and secondary data through organizations. Travel behavior analysis has been carried out based on four parameters namely variation across demographic and socio-economic parameters, area characteristics, destination preferences and proximity from metro stations, and barriers/facilitators in metro usage. For the variations across first parameter, in the case of gender, the results reveal that males prefer the metro more for work purposes. In contrast, females prefer the metro mostly for non-work purposes such as shopping, while in terms of age, results showcase that young and adults between 18-50 mostly prefer metro as compared to teenagers (<18) and senior citizens (>60) and the younger ones mostly prefer metro for non-work such as education purposes. In terms of Income groups, results reveal that middle-income groups have a higher inclination towards metro usage, followed by lower-income groups, Assessing Travel behavior variation in Transit-served areas: case of Ahmedabad metro though not many preferences of <10k income groups have been seen as they do not find metro affordable, or have their destinations nearby, while higher income groups tend to have a lower inclination as evidenced by the results. In terms of area characteristics such as core v/s periphery, it was observed that trip share of metro is more on peripheral stations as compared to core metro stations reasons being: (a) Distance and (b) Income variations. In terms of urban character such as old v/s new city, the results revealed that the trip share of the metro is more for the metro station areas located in the old city as compared to one in the new city reasons being: (a) Income (b) Vehicle Ownership. In terms of destination preferences & proximity from metro stations, it was seen that private vehicles are preferred even for the work and shopping centers located within 1km of metro stations, due to poor last-mile solutions, not always affordable to switch on modes, not enough availability of shared mobility services, costly CNG Autos, and poor pedestrian infrastructure. In contrast, for educational purposes, it was seen that the metro is preferred for the educational institutes located within 1km of metro stations. Some significant statistical tests were carried out on SPSS to validate the results of socio-economic parameters with the travel behavior. Two tests namely Chi-square and Kruskal Wallis were carried out. For the modal share, the results revealed that there is a significant difference (P-value 0.04) observed in the modal share across different age groups, while no significant variations were observed in terms of gender. For the travel distance, it was seen that there is a significant difference (P-value 0.003 and 0.035) observed in the travel distance across gender and different income groups, while no significant variations were observed in terms of age groups. In terms of perception towards metro usage, affordability, metro timings, frequency, first & last-mile connectivity, and parking availability have significant differences among metro and non-metro users as non-metro users have lower satisfaction levels. Common facilitators in metro usage include safety, security, reliability, comfort, convenience, ticketing facility, and user information, while common barriers to metro usage among both users include metro coverage, pedestrian infrastructure, and cycle tracks. The insights gained from this research provide valuable information for policymakers and urban planners aiming to enhance metro accessibility and usage. Moving forward, policymakers/ planners should focus on addressing issues with solutions such as car-lite or zero-vehicle growth policies, designating low emission or zero emission zones, station area approach for TOD, maximizing public transport usage through incentives/subsidies. Moreover, deployment of E-autos in Ahmedabad can be helpful. Apart from these, technological innovations such as be in be out ticketing system and behavioural interventions such as nudging and gamification towards public transport can help maximize the usage. Raising awareness of the benefits of metro use and implementing targeted interventions to increase user satisfaction can encourage greater public transportation adoption. By addressing these key areas, metro systems can better serve diverse user groups, promote sustainable urban mobility, and contribute to reducing reliance on private vehicles.