Investigating Structural Changes in Commuting Mode Choice Preferences with Repeated Cross-Sectional Travel Survey Data : The Contexts of Greater Toronto and Hamilton ( GTHA ) Area (original) (raw)

Transportation supply (transportation system capacity/performance) and urban form define the opportunities and constraints operating on mode choice preferences of urban residents. We make use of the Transportation Tomorrow Surveys (TTS), which are household travel surveys conducted in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in 1996, 2001 and 2006. Such a large and repeated cross-sectional travel demand survey data set provides an uncommon opportunity to investigate structural changes in mode choice preferences over time, in a manner sensitive to choice context changes. In this paper, we focus on commuting mode choices, which are prime determinants of peak period congestion and peak spreading. The outcomes of this investigation yield a better understanding of peoples’ mode choice preferences in GTHA, elucidate the impact of transport supply and urban form on behavior, and therefore provide guidance to better policy development to influence transit usage.