How Land Use Affects Station Access Behaviors of Bus Rapid Transit Passengers in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

This paper provides empirical evidence on ways commuters access bus rapid transit (BRT) stations in Bangkok, Thailand. It is hypothesized that land use characteristics in areas near BRT stations affect passengers’ travel behavior, particularly the station access portion of the trip. The authors conducted interview surveys of BRT commuters and another survey of land use and transport network characteristics around BRT stations. It was found that the three most widely used modes of access were walking, motorcycle taxi, and bus, with average access distances of 373, 1,040, and 7,076 m, respectively. In addition, the logistic regression technique was used to model walking access mode choice as a function of land use characteristics around stations where passengers boarded the BRT, controlling socioeconomic and trip characteristics. It was found that land use characteristics, including residential, commercial, service, retail, and financial land use intensity in BRT station areas, affected passengers’ tendency to walk to BRT stations. The extent of the catchment area and the determinants of travel behavior have important implications for land use and transportation policies that aim to promote transit-oriented development, particularly those that allow for greater building density around transit stations.