Application of sustainable transport at the university campus level in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

University campuses are considered small cities where all ages and backgrounds come together to study and work. Hence, applying sustainability policies to improve the travel behavior of university passengers can have significant benefits. In this study, several binomial logits were modeled to evaluate the choice of active modes and the willingness of university passengers to accept different types of policies on sustainable modes. Besides, transportation modes were examined for their share, accessibility, and feasibility. The questionnaire and variable correlations were analyzed by SPSS, and the models’ coefficients were estimated using NLOGIT software. This study is unique in several aspects. It simultaneously investigates both intra- and inter-campus travels under two different conditions (before and during COVID-19) at different levels. Furthermore, it estimates several brand-new variables whose effects have long been unknown to policymakers. Our methods and findings were validated using data from the University of Isfahan, Iran. Results indicated that factors such as type of policies, attendance history, inter and intra modes, accessibility, frequency of visits, occupation, education, and destinations affected the mode choice. The analysis of policies indicates that it can be of value to shift the mode choice of campus commuters towards more sustainable practices.