Heterogeneity in habitual active travel choices over the life course

Abstract

Focusing on life trajectories and exploring heterogeneity is critical in developing targeted-specific and lifelong interventions for active travel. This study estimated mixed logit models to explore determinants of habitual active travel from a life-course perspective and capture potential heterogeneity in the decision-making process. The effects of trip purposes, life transitions, neighborhood attributes, and socio-demographic characteristics were captured. Based on retrospective longitudinal data collected in the Netherlands from a representative panel of 627 adults via a webbased survey, results indicate the importance of travel purposes, key life transitions, living environments, health conditions, and some socio-demographic characteristics in influencing active travel choices. Besides, results show that determinants, including school commuting, work commuting, shopping for daily needs, marital status change, school change, distance, having a partner, and having motorized vehicles, have random effects, suggesting the existence of heterogeneity. Their heterogeneities can be captured by age, education level, working hours, and having children.