Traveler Willingness to Use Flexible Transit Services in China: Case Study of Qilu Software Park

Abstract

AbstractThis paper examines traveler’s willingness to use flexible transit services prior to their deployment in Chinese cities. A total of 2,403 samples were collected in Jinan Qilu Software Park (the Park) by a self-reported questionnaire survey, which include three types of questions, namely, questions on demographic information, public transit customer satisfaction, and flexible transit service–related information. Through correlation and spatial analyses of travel characteristics and profiles of potential flexible transit service users, this paper reaches the following research findings: (1) around 60% of the respondents in the Park are willing to use a flexible transit service. Women, enterprise employees, and people with higher education and income levels are more willing to use a flexible transit service; (2) respondents are willing to pay an average fare of 4 Chinese Yuan (0.60 U.S. dollars equivalent) per trip to use a flexible transit service; and (3) respondents express a higher preference (65...