Walking Distance of Commuters after Modal Shift to Rail Transit in Bangkok

Abstract

This paper investigates the walking distance of commuters in Bangkok who changed transport modes to rail transit, and examines the factors that may determine the degree of change in walking distance. The authors hypothesize that people walk a longer distance after the modal shift and that socioeconomic, trip characteristics, residential and job location choice affect the change in walking distance. The authors test the hypotheses by analyzing 1,020 commuter surveys, conducted at 34 stations of the Bangkok Mass Transit System, using regression techniques. The results suggest that people walk farther, averaging a 750-m increase, after modal shift. The regression results imply that socioeconomic characteristics, including gender, age, income and occupation, and trip characteristics, such as type of origin stations, significantly affect the degree of change in walking distance, while residential and job locations choice have a more limited impact on the change.