Influence of Travel Behavior, Personal Preferences, and Lifestyle on Perceived Convenience to Amenities among Calgary Residents

Abstract

The presence of essential amenities, such as grocery stores, parks, and employment, within convenient distances impacts individuals’ travel behavior and quality of life. Whereas what is perceived as a convenient distance varies among individuals, the goal of this research is to better understand perceived convenience in the context of differing lifestyles, sociodemographic characteristics, and personal preferences. Using an online travel behavior survey with a sample of 711 residents from Calgary, Canada, we segmented individuals into eight distinct groups based on travel behavior and personal characteristics. We then examined their perceived convenience to reach various amenities among each group, and the actual distances to these amenities. Our results reveal eight distinct typologies that differ according to mode choice, lifestyle, neighborhood characteristics, and trip satisfaction. We observe that distance negatively affects reported convenience to work, grocery stores, and parks, but reported convenience is also closely related to modes available as well as to transport and home location options that meet individuals’ preferences. Typologies in which individuals are able to select their preferred transport options or home location typically report a higher convenience of access to various destinations, and this is especially true for typologies with high cycling, walking, and public transport mode shares. This study demonstrates the importance of providing individuals with a variety of affordable options in relation to transport mode and home locations, which can be of interest to researchers and planners concerned with improving convenience of access to local amenities by sustainable modes.