Spatial self-selection in land-use–travel behavior interactions: accounting simultaneously for attitudes and socioeconomic characteristics

JTLU vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 63-84 (2014)Spatial self-selection can be ascribed to two main factors: socioeconomic characteristics or attitudinal aspects towards travel and location choices. Several studies have investigated the influence of self-selection on the relations between travel behavior and land-use patterns. So far the results could be considered mixed. The model proposed herein uses data collected in 2009 for the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. A structural equations model was built to study the effects of spatial self-selection due to both socioeconomic and attitudinal effects. Three model specifications were considered: one treating attitudes toward travel as exogenous and two others considering them as endogenous. The preferred specification considered attitudes as exogenous. The land-use patterns are described by factors both at the residence and employment zones of each individual. The travel behavior variables included here are multidimensional and include commuting distance, car ownership, the number of trips by mode, and the total amount of time between the first and last trips. On account of the data characteristics and sample size, Bayesian estimation, as implemented in AMOSTM software, was used. The results obtained show that although the attitudinal variables significantly influence travel behavior, they do not annul the effects of land-use patterns in also contributing to shape the same behavior

Influential Vectors in Fuel Consumption by an Urban Bus Operator

In an era of reduced government funding, transit operators struggle to reduce operating costs and increase revenues. Energy costs account for an important share of the total costs of urban and suburban bus operators. Using a case study of one operator in Lisbon, Portugal, this talk will expand upon the empirical research on bus transit operation costs and identify the key factors that influence the energy efficiency of the overall bus fleet. Our results of a multivariate analysis find the following dimensions influence transit energy efficiency: vehicle type, commercial speed, road grades and bus routes; and to a lesser extent elements related with engine failures and malfunctions. In addition to these findings, the methodology is a decision-support tool for the bus operator in optimizing energy efficiency. The transferrability of these results and analytical tools to other contexts will also be discussed.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/trec_seminar/1070/thumbnail.jp

Transit Use by Young People in Times of Financial Austerity: A Cause of Equity Concern?

This study investigates the effect of price and travel time fairness and spatial equity in transit provision on the perceived transit service quality, willingness to pay, and habitual frequency of use. Based on the theory of planned behavior, we developed a web-based questionnaire for revealed preferences data collection. The survey was administered among young people in Copenhagen and Lisbon to explore the transit perceptions and use under different economic and transit provision conditions. The survey yielded 499 questionnaires, analyzed by means of structural equation models. Results show that higher perceived fairness relates positively to higher perceived quality of transit service and higher perceived ease of paying for transit use. Higher perceived spatial equity in service provision is associated with higher perceived service quality. Higher perceived service quality relates to higher perceived ease of payment, which links to higher frequency of transit use

The relationship between young people's transit use and their perceptions of equity concepts in transit service provision

This study investigates the effect of price and travel mode fairness and spatial equity in transit provision on the perceived transit service quality, willingness to pay, and habitual frequency of use. Based on the theory of planned behavior, we developed a web-based questionnaire for revealed preferences data collection. The survey was administered among young people in Copenhagen and Lisbon to explore the transit perceptions and use under different economic and transit provision conditions. The survey yielded 499 questionnaires, analyzed by means of structural equation models. Results show that higher perceived fairness relates positively to higher perceived quality of transit service and higher perceived ease of paying for transit use. Higher perceived spatial equity in service provision is associated with higher perceived service quality. Higher perceived service quality relates to higher perceived ease of payment, which links to higher frequency of transit use

Comparing the application of different justice theories in equity analysis of transit projects: A case study of the Lisbon Metro Circular Line

Although issues of equity and accessibility have already been addressed in transportation, especially with regard to the distribution of costs and benefits, there is no consensus on which concept and metric of fairness would be most appropriate for the evaluation of transportation infrastructure proposals. Normally, a utilitarian perspective is adopted, where issues of unequal distribution of costs and benefits are not the main focus. This paper aims to incorporate the assumptions of other justice theories, namely egalitarianism, communitarianism, and Capability Approach (CA), into the equity assessment of transportation infrastructures, and by doing so, pay closer attention to those who are less advantaged or more open to social exclusion. These theories are critically reviewed considering their contribution to the assessment of equity in terms of transportation infrastructure accessibility impacts. Based on the reviewed theories, accessibility indicators are built and used to assess the equity impacts of the Lisbon Metro expansion project. The findings support the importance of adding other justice perspectives to assessing transportation projects. The CA and Maximax support a need to establish minimum or acceptable distribution standards of accessibility. However, the results from the CA are strongly dependent on the assumptions as to the maximum acceptable travel times

What drives the allocation of motorways? Evidence from Portugal's fast-expanding network

This study investigates the factors that influenced the allocation of motorways across municipalities in mainland Portugal. Our analysis, based on Poisson Pseudo-maximum Likelihood models, suggests that population size and market potential in 1981 are important determinants of motorway density in 2020. Physical and geographical variables also help explain the spatial distribution of motorway investment, as terrain ruggedness and distance to the coast are negatively associated with motorway density. In addition, we consider the influence of the proximity to historical and pre-existing transport networks on the allocation of motorways; we find that municipalities that are closer to 1800's itineraries, the main roads of the 1945's National Road Plan, and 1981's train stations appear to have higher motorway densities in 2020, but this effect is concentrated in the vast and sparsely populated area of the country that excludes what we term the high-density Portuguese “blue banana”. Interestingly, it is also only in this low-density region that partisan alignment between the municipal and the national levels of government appears to affect the allocation of transport investment, which suggests that motorways are more of a political asset in more remote or less urbanised areas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

What drives the allocation of motorways? Evidence from Portugal’s fast-expanding network

This study investigates the factors that influenced the allocation of motorways across municipalities in mainland Portugal over the period from 1981 to 2011. Our analysis, based on Poisson Pseudo-maximum Likelihood models, suggests that population size and market potential in 1981 are important determinants of motorway density in 2011. Likewise, physical and geographical variables also help explain the spatial distribution of motorway investment, as terrain ruggedness, distance to the coast, and distance to the border with Spain are negatively associated with motorway density. In addition, we consider the influence of the proximity to historical and pre-existing transport networks on the allocation of motorways; we find that municipalities that are closer to the 1800’s itineraries, the main roads of the 1945’s National Road Plan, and 1981’s train stations appear to have higher motorway densities in 2011, but this effect is concentrated in the vast and sparsely populated area of the country that excludes what we term the highdensity Portuguese “blue banana”. Interestingly, it is also only in this low-density region that partisan alignment between the municipal and the national levels of government appears to affect the allocation of transport investment, which suggests that motorways are more of a political asset in more remote or less urbanised areas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Motorways, urban growth, and suburbanisation : evidence from three decades of motorway construction in Portugal

Portugal moved from having less than 200 km of motorways before joining the European Union in 1986 to having the fifth highest motorway density relative to population in the Union in 2017. This paper studies the relationship between the expansion of the Portuguese motorway network between 1981 and 2011 and the growth of population and employment in the 275 mainland municipalities of the country. We address the endogeneity of the geography of motorways using instrumental variables based on historical transport networks from 1800 and 1945. Our findings suggest that, on average, new motorways caused large increases in both population and employment. In line with existing evidence for other countries, we find that motorways contributed to suburbanisation, as the impact of motorways on population growth (but not on employment growth) is particularly strong in suburban municipalities. In addition, motorways also appear to have influenced urban agglomeration dynamics, as their effect on population growth depends positively on the municipality’s population size in 1970.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Factors influencing bicycle use: a binary choice model with panel data

Cycling has been commonly neglected in urban transport planning. In the same fashion, there is a shortage of available data on cycling mobility, especially in countries with low rates of bicycle share. Nevertheless, a modal shift towards soft modes such as cycling appears to be one of the keys for progressing towards a sustainable urban mobility paradigm. Understanding the factors that influence bicycle choice is necessary for implementing efficient probike transport policies. This research identifies the main factors affecting bicycle choice for commuting. It analyses an ad-hoc panel survey conducted in Vitoria-Gasteiz, a medium-sized city in northern Spain where cycle rate has rocketed in few years. Data from commuters, either workers or students, were collected in 2012, 2013 and 2014. An unbalanced binary panel model includes both objective – such as gender, age, occupation, car availability, or trip distance – and subjective variables – as attitudinal beliefs towards cycling–. The research confirms the importance of individual´s perceptions on cycling for understanding their modal choice and identifies main factors related to higher bicycle use likelihood