Role of Gender and Attitudes on Public Transportation Use

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate gender differences in public transportation–related attitudes and their effects on transit use. How did attitudes affect people's transit use? Did public transit–related attitudes differ by gender in general and by status group (faculty, staff, and students)? This research aimed to address these questions. The analysis was based on data collected from the 2012 campus transportation survey at Ohio State University. The survey questionnaire covered individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics, commute mode choices, and attitudes toward driving and taking public transit, including reliability, safety, flexibility, convenience, accessibility, and comfort. After the descriptive analysis of perceptions that were segmented on the basis of gender and status (faculty, staff, undergraduates, and graduate students), binary logit models were estimated to assess the influences of individuals’ attitudes on transit use while controlling for other factors. First a binary logit model measuring the effects of respondents’ status (student, staff, or faculty), car ownership, ethnicity, proximity to bus stops, and distance to campus was estimated. Then respondents’ attitudes were added to the existing model. Results indicated that including attitudes significantly increased the explanatory power of the model, and the results revealed the significant connections between attitudes related to public transportation and public transit use. The findings of this study can help transportation planners understand the ways attitudes affect transit use and the differences across genders. Although the study used data from Ohio State University, the findings can help in developing plans for increasing alternative transportation use on other campuses, as well as in surrounding areas.