Effects of smartphone application usage on mobility choices

Abstract

This paper examines the impacts of smartphone application usage on mobility choice dimensions, such as individuals’ visits to new places, individuals’ trips planned in groups, their participation at social gatherings, and vehicle kilometers traveled. It uses data from the Smartphone Use and Travel Choice Survey 2015, which was conducted exclusively on smartphone users of Halifax, Canada. A latent class random parameter logit (LCRPL) modeling technique is applied in this study that provides a better understanding of the effects of smartphone application usage on mobility choices. The model results offer behavioral insights regarding the influence of individuals’ attitudes, travel characteristics, built environment and accessibility measures on the relationship between smartphone application usage and mobility choices. For instance, living in the higher mixed land-use areas, individuals are less likely to increase their vehicle kilometers traveled due to smartphone application usage, especially if they are tech savvy. Such individuals tend to increase their participation in social gatherings. One of the unique features of this study is that it explores the effects of individuals’ smartphone application usage on mobility choices in terms of their attitudes. The study reveals that in case of people with positive attitude towards sustainable travel, smartphone application usage tends to decrease vehicle kilometers traveled, new place visits and planned group trips, however, increase participation in social gatherings. Results of this study provide critical behavioral insights that could be useful for transportation planners and policy makers to develop flexible policy interventions.