Valuing Crowding In Public Transport Systems Using Mixed Stated/Revealed Preferences Data: The Case Of Santiago

1 2 This paper presents the valuation of comfort in public transportation using mixed Stated 3 Preferences (SP) and Revealed Preferences (RP) data. In this case, comfort is measured 4 mainly as the level of crowding in the vehicles (bus or train) using the in-vehicle passenger 5 density (pax/m 2 ). To value comfort we use a stated preference survey where crowding levels 6 are presented by means of figures, and revealed preference data on route choice inside the 7 subway network of Santiago, Chile. The data collected in the surveys are used to estimate 8 discrete choice models and obtain subjective valuation of passenger density through the 9 parameters of the utility function. We assume that disutility for traveling in crowding 10 conditions is proportional to the travel time; therefore, the longer the trip, the higher the utility 11 loss. The results indicate that passenger density has a significant effect on utility of public 12 transportation modes. In fact, marginal disutility of travel time in a crowded vehicle (6 13 passenger/m 2 ) is two times the marginal disutility in a vehicle with low level of crowding (1 14 passenger/m 2 ). 15 16 17