Effects of Personal Factors on Bicycle Commuting in Developing Countries

Abstract

This paper focuses on an analysis of personal factors that affected people's decisions to bicycle for commuting trips. Factors investigated included commuter demographic characteristics, perceived benefits, and trip distance. With samples collected in a commuter survey in Nanjing, China, the odds ratio statistics were developed to analyze the effect of each factor separately. Two latent variables that implied commuter socioeconomic status and perceived benefits were obtained by the factor analysis method. On the basis of the results of the factor analysis, a binomial logit model with the latent variable enriched was developed to describe how the factors influenced commuter choices. For comparison purposes, a binomial logit model without a latent variable was also developed. Both models offered some important insights into the effects of personal factors on bicycle commuting. The findings were (a) trip distance and perceived benefits had significant effects on bicycle usage; (b) socioeconomic status was negatively correlated with bicycle commuting; (c) gender and age had no significant effects on bicycle commuting; (d) commuters cared more about rapidity and convenience than safety and comfort; and (e) automobile availability for a trip was negatively correlated with bicycle commuting. These results have some policy implications for urban transportation planning.