TRAVEL MODE CHOICE OF URBAN COMMUTERS CONSIDERING THEIR HOME-RETURNING BEHAVIOR

As a main activity in commuters'daily live, commuting travel mode choices are affected by numerous factors except to operational features of transits. For instance, in the case when work is overdue, less running frequency of mass transits or safety situation in access makes a commuter choose the automobile. Whereas, although automobile has greater flexibility without essential access, a commuter would like to choose mass transits rather than encounter road congestion twice in a day that will enforce his working stress. Several previous studies have proposed models to deal with travel mode choice considering some operating features of transit systems, road situations and external individual attributes but the most focussed on going to work process. Based on above reasons, although a series of measures and social experiments related to transport demand management (TDM) are adopted and performed in recent years for the purpose of encouraging automobile commuters to use mass transit systems, the urban traffic congestion, especially in peak hour, is still severe. There is a growing recognition to take into account of commuters' home-returning behaviors in commuter travel study. This paper attempts to propose a travel mode choice model for urban commuters in a more limited scope, with consideration of their going to work and home-returning behaviors. The model is expected to evaluate the effects of TDM.