Abstract
This paper investigates active transportation mode users’ preferences for alternative services during the temporary closure event of a bridge and its active transportation (AT) lanes. It also evaluates the loyalty of AT users during the event. The study uses data from a travel survey distributed to cyclists and pedestrians, who are the regular AT lane users of the Macdonald Bridge in Halifax, Canada. Random parameter logit models are developed in this study that examine the effects of socio-demographic, travel and neighborhood characteristics on active transportation users’ preferences. Four alternative transportation services are considered in this study: free shuttle services, frequent ferry services, frequent bus services and other services. Results suggest that higher-income individuals are more likely to prefer frequent ferry services during the AT lane closure event. Transit commuters are found to prefer frequent bus services. Probability of preferring free shuttle services increases if individuals use AT lanes for cost savings. Loyalty towards AT is explored in this study by means of anticipated modal shift. For instance, higher mixed land use area dwellers tend to be loyal towards AT during the disruption event, as demonstrated by their lower probability to shift from current AT mode. This study offers critical behavioral insights, which would assist transportation planning and policies that aim to adopt sustainable transportation planning measures to retain current users’ loyalty towards active transportation and prevent a long-term behavioral shift.
Highlights
Closure of major transportation infrastructures for an extended period incurs economic loss and causes long-term behavioral shifts that hamper the development of sustainable transportation planning of a region [1]
(1) The first category consists of respondents who agree to start their travel by active transportation, and cross the harbor by any other mode during the closure event, which is considered to be the loyalty towards active transportation modes; (2) The second category includes those who start traveling by other modes rather than active transportation, which is counted as a shift from active transportation modes
This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the anticipated travel behavior of active transportation users during a major transportation infrastructure renewal project
Summary
Closure of major transportation infrastructures for an extended period incurs economic loss and causes long-term behavioral shifts that hamper the development of sustainable transportation planning of a region [1]. Bridges are sometimes built with active transportation (AT) lanes that provide services to the cyclists and pedestrians, for instance, Port Mann Bridge (British Columbia, Canada) and George Washington Bridge (New Jersey, USA) Such facilities offer a variety of sustainable transportation alternatives, and reduce personal vehicle usage and traffic congestion across the bridge, which in turn contribute in less vehicular emission and energy consumption. Such event might increase vehicle kilometers traveled across the road network that could rise daily emission Notwithstanding these facts, how the associated active transportation lane disruption during a critical transportation infrastructure’s temporary closure event for an extended period influences its users’ travel behavior is not evident in the existing literature. This study utilizes datasets from an active transportation travel survey to assess the potential impacts on active transportation mode users
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