Models for anticipating non-motorized travel choices, and the role of the built environment

This paper uses detailed travel data from the Seattle metropolitan area to evaluate the effects of built-environment variables on the use of non-motorized (bike+walk) travel modes. Several model specifications are used to understand and explain non-motorized travel behavior in terms of household, person and built-environment (BE) variables. Marginal effects of covariates for models of vehicle ownership levels, intrazonal trip-making, destination and mode choices, non-motorized trip counts per household, and miles traveled (both motorized and non-motorized) are presented. Mode and destination choice models were estimated separately for interzonal and intrazonal trips and for each of three different trip purposes, to recognize the distinct behaviors at play when making shorter versus longer trips and serving different activities.