Users of Transport Modes and Multimodal Travel Behavior Steps Toward Understanding Travelers' Options and Choices

The multimodal majority? Driving, walking, cycling, and public transportation use among American adults

“…Most studies suggest that survey periods of one week tend to capture typical variability in everyday habitual travel behavior (Block-Schachter 2009;Kuhnimhof et al 2006;Nobis 2007). Longer multi-week survey periods additionally capture occasional travel behavior (Schlich and Axhausen 2003).…”

“…For example, one study defined individuals as having a 'monomodal tendency' if they used a single mode for over 70 % of all trips (Nobis 2007). Some studies of multimodality exclude 'walking' as a mode of transport-based on the assumption that survey respondents often forget to report short walk trips (Kuhnimhof et al 2006;Nobis 2007). Intermodality is a specific form of multimodal behavior referring to the use of multiple modes of transportation within one trip or a chain of trips.…”

“…Data sources for the study of multimodality Three main types of data are used in studies of multimodality: (1) multi-week travel surveys; (2) weeklong travel surveys; and (3) one-day travel surveys with questions about travel during longer time periods (Kuhnimhof et al 2006;Nobis 2007). Most studies suggest that survey periods of one week tend to capture typical variability in everyday habitual travel behavior (Block-Schachter 2009;Kuhnimhof et al 2006;Nobis 2007).…”

“…Next multinomial and logistic regressions help distinguish profiles of individuals in the different weekly modality groups. Weekly data tend to capture most of the typical variability in everyday habitual travel behavior (Block-Schachter 2009; Kuhnimhof et al 2006;Nobis 2007).…”

“…Moreover, car users already using other modes, at least occasionally, could be targeted to increase walking, cycling, and public transportation use. Even occasional use of alternatives to the car may have significant impacts on long-term travel behavior, because infrequent use of a mode may familiarize a traveler enough to enable increased use of that mode of transportation over time (Chlond 2012;Diana and Mokhtarian 2009;Kuhnimhof et al 2006;Oram and Stark 1996).…”