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

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  • Ralph Buehler
  • Andrea Hamre

Abstract

Multimodality, the use of more than one mode of transportation during a specified time period, is gaining recognition as an important mechanism for reducing automobile dependence by shifting trips from automobiles to walking, cycling, or public transportation. Most prior research on multimodality focuses on Western European countries. Based on the 2001 and 2009 National Household Travel Surveys, this paper analyzes trends and determinants of multimodal car use in the U.S. during a typical week by distinguishing between (1) monomodal car users who drive or ride in a car for all trips, (2) multimodal car users who drive or ride in a car and also use non-automobile modes, and (3) individuals who exclusively walk, cycle, and/or ride public transportation. We find that during a typical week a majority—almost two thirds—of Americans use a car and make at least one trip by foot, bicycle, or public transportation. One in four Americans uses a car and makes at least seven weekly trips by other modes of transportation. Results from multinomial and logistic regression analyses suggest there may be a continuum of mobility types ranging from monomodal car users to walk, bicycle, and/or public transportation only users—with multimodal car users positioned in-between the two extremes. Policy changes aimed at curtailing car use may result in movements along this spectrum with increasing multimodality for car users. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

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  • Ralph Buehler & Andrea Hamre, 2015. "The multimodal majority? Driving, walking, cycling, and public transportation use among American adults," Transportation, Springer, vol. 42(6), pages 1081-1101, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:42:y:2015:i:6:p:1081-1101
    DOI: 10.1007/s11116-014-9556-z
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    Cited by:

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    9. Yang, Xu-Hua & Cheng, Zhi & Chen, Guang & Wang, Lei & Ruan, Zhong-Yuan & Zheng, Yu-Jun, 2018. "The impact of a public bicycle-sharing system on urban public transport networks," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 246-256.
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    12. Timmer, Sebastian & Bösehans, Gustav & Henkel, Sven, 2023. "Behavioural norms or personal gains? – An empirical analysis of commuters‘ intention to switch to multimodal mobility behaviour," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
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    15. Mehdizadeh, Milad & Zavareh, Mohsen Fallah & Nordfjaern, Trond, 2019. "Mono- and multimodal green transport use on university trips during winter and summer: Hybrid choice models on the norm-activation theory," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 317-332.
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    18. Choi, Yunkyung & Guhathakurta, Subhrajit, 2024. "Unraveling the diversity in transit-oriented development," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    19. Molin, Eric & Mokhtarian, Patricia & Kroesen, Maarten, 2016. "Multimodal travel groups and attitudes: A latent class cluster analysis of Dutch travelers," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 14-29.
    20. Imhof, Sebastian & Blättler, Kevin, 2023. "Assessing spatial characteristics to predict DRT demand in rural Switzerland," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    21. Sagaris, Lake & Arora, Anvita, 2016. "Evaluating how cycle-bus integration could contribute to “sustainable” transport," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 218-227.
    22. Lixun Liu & Yujiang Wang & Robin Hickman, 2023. "How Rail Transit Makes a Difference in People’s Multimodal Travel Behaviours: An Analysis with the XGBoost Method," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-23, March.
    23. Sfeir, Georges & Abou-Zeid, Maya & Kaysi, Isam, 2020. "Multivariate count data models for adoption of new transport modes in an organization-based context," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 59-75.
    24. Oostendorp, Rebekka & Gebhardt, Laura, 2018. "Combining means of transport as a users' strategy to optimize traveling in an urban context: empirical results on intermodal travel behavior from a survey in Berlin," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 72-83.

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