Car dependency in the urban margins: the influence of perceived accessibility on mode choice

Car dependence is a dimension of transport poverty whose subjective components have been limitedly explored. Research on car dependence highlights the incidence of transport costs on family budgets, assesses the multidimensional vulnerability of car-dependent subjects and the possibility to access valued opportunities. However, people’s perceptions and their perceived ability to access relevant places can also influence the way in which they move in car dependent settings. In this paper, we aim to examine to which extent perceived accessibility influences mode choices in such areas. Based on a survey carried out in four peripheral and periurban municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile, we examine how subjective perceptions of accessibility contribute to explain modal choice in the outskirts of Santiago. Results show that perceived accessibility has a negative net impact on the utilities for both car and public transport, which means that a low perceived accessibility increases the likelihood of choosing motorized modes. Moreover, residents from peripheral municipalities tend to perceive a higher accessibility than households from periurban areas, which are excluded from the public transport system. These findings show the importance of providing nearby opportunities and convenient alternatives to the car in order to limit car dependency, especially in periurban areas.