The relationship between young people's transit use and their perceptions of equity concepts in transit service provision

Kaplan, S., de Abreu e Silva, J., Di Commo, 2014, in Transport Policy

doi:10.1016/j.tranpol.2014.08.004
Location Lisbon, Portugal and Copenhagen, Denmark
Population Students
Sample size 499
Factor analysis type confirmatory factor analysis, none rotation
Stepwise regression no
Removal of insignificant variables no
Reviewed by LCM

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of price and travel mode fairness and spatial equity in transit provision on the perceived transit service quality, willingness to pay, and habitual frequency of use. Based on the theory of planned behavior, we developed a web-based questionnaire for revealed preferences data collection. The survey was administered among young people in Copenhagen and Lisbon to explore the transit perceptions and use under different economic and transit provision conditions. The survey yielded 499 questionnaires, analyzed by means of structural equation models. Results show that higher perceived fairness relates positively to higher perceived quality of transit service and higher perceived ease of paying for transit use. Higher perceived spatial equity in service provision is associated with higher perceived service quality. Higher perceived service quality relates to higher perceived ease of payment, which links to higher frequency of transit use. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Factors

Variable Pattern loading
Transit is not expensive for me (Cost) 1
Riding a bicycle is cheaper than using transit (Cost) 0.446
Transit is cheaper than using the car (Cost) 1.111
I try to avoid using transit in order to save money (Cost) 1.271
Variable Pattern loading
I feel insecure in transit because I am afraid to be harassed (Safety) 1
I feel insecure in transit because of pick-pocketing (Safety) 1.332
I feel insecure riding transit at night (Safety) 1.774
I feel insecure walking/waiting to transit at night (Safety) 1.7
Variable Pattern loading
Students have more difficulties to pay the cost compared to adults in their forties (Cost) 1
Students have more difficulties to pay the cost compared to elderly (Cost) 1.148
Students have more difficulties to pay the cost compared to teenagers (Cost) 1.245
The cost for students is higher than for elderly (Cost) 1.281
The cost for students is higher than for teenagers (Cost) 1.353
Variable Pattern loading
Most of my friends travel by car (Social norms) 1
Most of my friends travel by transit (Social norms) -0.97
People of my social circle do not usually use transit (Social norms) 0.937
Variable Pattern loading
Most of my friends travel by bicycle (Social norms) 1
Most of my family members travel by bicycle (Social norms) 0.539
My friends think that driving a car is cool (Social norms) -0.39
My friends think that riding a bicycle is cool (Social norms) 0.692
Variable Pattern loading
Students in peripheral areas have a worse transit service (Convenience) 1
Students in peripheral areas have less direct transit services (Convenience) 0.815
Students in peripheral areas have less real-time information at bus stops (Convenience) 0.759
Students in peripheral areas have longer walking distance for transit (Convenience) 0.854
Students in peripheral areas have longer waiting times for transit (Convenience) 0.924
Variable Pattern loading
Students in southern areas feel less safe when traveling in the evening (Safety) 1
Students in southern areas have less direct transit services (Convenience) 1.362
Students in southern areas have less real-time information at bus stops (Convenience) 1.134
Students in southern areas have longer walking distance for transit (Convenience) 1.176
Students in southern areas have longer waiting times for transit (Convenience) 1.435
Students in southern areas have a worse transit service (Convenience) 1.287
Variable Pattern loading
The walking distance to the nearest transit stop is too far for me (Convenience) 1
The travel times by transit are too long for me (Convenience) 1.266
The transit operating hours on weekdays are too short for me (Convenience) 1.049
The transit is too crowded for me (Comfort) 0.642
The transit frequency is too low for me (Convenience) 1.459
The transit time table does not fit my schedule (Convenience) 1.313
Variable Pattern loading
Quality of travel time by transit compared to travel time by car to the university (Convenience) 1
ttime_min (Other) -9.265
Quality of travel time to the university (Convenience) 0.729
Quality of travel time by transit compared to travel time by car to leisure activities (Convenience) 0.695

Models

Source variable Target variable Effect p-value Effect type
Lisbon Spatial equity between the center and the periphery -0.257 0.0 direct_effect
Residence near the city center Spatial equity between the center and the periphery 0.154 0.0 direct_effect
Lisbon Spatial equity between the north and the south -0.766 0.0 direct_effect
Living in the north of Lisbon Spatial equity between the north and the south 0.59 0.0 direct_effect
Lisbon Price fairness 0.375 0.0 direct_effect
Low-income Price fairness 0.117 0.0 direct_effect
Residence near the city center Travel mode fairness 0.302 0.0 direct_effect
Male Travel mode fairness -0.268 0.0 direct_effect
Transport expenditure from total Travel mode fairness -0.009 0.0 direct_effect
Lisbon Perceived personal security -0.704 0.0 direct_effect
Male Perceived personal security 0.245 0.0 direct_effect
Lisbon Pro-cycling subjective norms -2.459 0.0 direct_effect
Childyes Pro-car subjective norms 0.471 0.0 direct_effect
North of Lisbon Lisbon 0.233 0.0 correlation
Transport expenditure Residence near the city center -1.834 0.0 correlation
Transport expenditure Lisbon 3.931 0.0 correlation
North of Lisbon Residence near the city center 0.018 0.0 correlation
Transport expenditure from total Living in the north of Lisbon 3.094 0.0 correlation
Spatial equity between the center and the periphery Spatial equity between the north and the south 0.193 0.0 direct_effect
Spatial equity between the center and the periphery Price fairness 0.129 0.0 direct_effect
Spatial equity between the center and the periphery Travel mode fairness 0.372 0.0 direct_effect
Spatial equity between the north and the south Transit service quality 0.094 0.0 direct_effect
Spatial equity between the center and the periphery Transit service quality 0.136 0.0 direct_effect
Price fairness Transit service quality 0.171 0.0 direct_effect
Travel mode fairness Transit service quality 0.374 0.0 direct_effect
Perceived personal security Transit service quality 0.162 0.0 direct_effect
Pro-car subjective norms Transit service quality -0.132 0.0 direct_effect
Price fairness Ease of payment 0.236 0.0 direct_effect
Transit service quality Ease of payment 0.266 0.0 direct_effect
Pro-cycling subjective norms Ease of payment -0.157 0.0 direct_effect
Ease of payment Frequency of transit use 1.049 0.0 direct_effect
Pro-car subjective norms Frequency of transit use -0.606 0.0 direct_effect

The Attitudes and Travel Database is produced with support from the Center for Teaching Old Models New Tricks at Arizona State University, a University Transportation Center sponsored by the US Department of Transportation through Grant No. 69A3551747116.

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