Do environmentally sustainable travel behaviours contribute to transportation-related social exclusion?

Abstract

Travel behaviours of today's young adults may be considered environmentally sustainable. However, the risk of transportation-related social exclusion and consequently socially unsustainable travel behaviour among young adults, which may relate to their sustainable travel choices and lower car-reliance, remains less explored. Focusing on 4178 Canadian post-secondary students within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, we examined four measures of activity participation for each student as indicators of social exclusion which include the number of daily activities, area covered per activity, distance travelled per activity, and time spent travelling per activity. We explored the association between students' activity participation patterns and their transportation mode choice patterns. A latent class analysis of short- and long-term travel choices revealed five transportation mode choice patterns, namely- Automobile Dependents, Transit Dependents, Cyclists, Pedestrians, and Multimodals. Results from Poisson and multiple linear regression models suggest that transportation mode choice patterns are significantly associated with how students participate in activities. Transit Dependents are more likely to face social exclusion due to limited activity participation. Students who reside in dense areas with better street connectivity demonstrate socially sustainable travel patterns. Future transportation planning and policy should be focused on addressing the travel needs of young adults with limited transportation opportunities and inefficient public transit.