Encouraging Walking: The Case of Journey-to-school Trips in Compact Urban Areas

Abstract

An activity-based approach is used to analyse one specific short-trip purpose that has persistently frustrated transport analysts trying to induce more walk, cycle or public transport based trips. This study of the journey-to-school trip is motivated by a general consensus that, to effect a more sustainable transport system, there is a necessity to reduce car use (especially for short trips). Resistance to modal transfer from cars has been shown to be embedded in various psycho-social obstacles which are not readily teased out in orthodox econometric studies of travel demand. We report on an empirical study which fuses psychometric (construction of coping scales) and econometric analyses (logit analysis) in an attempt to uncover the psychological and sociological factors influencing modal choice, as well as the usual range of economic and demographic factors.

Evaluation of Safe Routes to School Programs: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Parental Decision-Making

“…For example, Schlossberg et al (2006) surveyed parents of children at four Oregon middle schools and found that parents have "compelling reasons for driving their children to school that are unrelated to urban form or distance" (Schlossberg et al, 2006), p. 344). This illustrates how a child's travel mode choice is very much a part of the household decision-making process (Black et al, 2001). Household trip interdependencies, especially the linkage between trips to school and work (Black et al, 2001) often play a large role in the decision.…”

“…This illustrates how a child's travel mode choice is very much a part of the household decision-making process (Black et al, 2001). Household trip interdependencies, especially the linkage between trips to school and work (Black et al, 2001) often play a large role in the decision. For example, Schlossberg et al (Schlossberg et al, 2006) found that the ease of dropping child off on way to work was cited by 41% of parents surveyed who drove their kids to school.…”

“…Parental attitudes and perceptions are a major factor in the decisions around children's travel to school (Black, Collins, & Snell, 2001). Safety is the primary concern of parents who cite worry about both traffic safety and abduction or "stranger danger" (Bradshaw, 1995;Dellinger, 2002); (DiGuiseppi, Roberts, Li, & Allen, 1998;Johshi, 1995;Joshi, 1995); (McMillan, 2005); (McMillan, 2003); (NHTSA, 2004).…”

“…Traffic danger near schools posed by high traffic volumes and erratic driving behavior of parents also impact the way children travel to school (Anderson, Boarnet, McMillan, Alfonzo, & Day, 2003); (Black et al, 2001); (Bradshaw, 2001); (CDC, 2002); (Dellinger, 2002). For example, 23% of parents surveyed in a study by Schlossberg et al (2006) cited traffic conditions as a reason to drive kids to school.…”

“…Income and family car ownership in the family are two other household factors that are associated with higher rates of being driven (Black et al, 2001); (DiGuiseppi et al, 1998); (Yarlagadda & Srinivasan, 2007). In addition, walking and cycling to school less likely when household has more licensed drivers to provide rides (McMillan, 2006).…”