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Campbell, Erica K.

Community Development and Applied Economics

2009

MS

Over the last few decades, the rates of parent-driven trips to school have increased, while the rates of walking and biking to school have declined. There is a dearth of national research on children's travel behavior and until very recently there have been few studies that have attempted to determine why students use bus, walking, biking, or automobile for travel to and from school. Much of the recent research has focused on Safe Routes to School, a program that promotes walking and biking. This study analyzes the reasons that contribute to mode choice, particularly looking at the question: why are parents increasingly choosing to drive their children to and from school? The goal of the research is to identify the factors that contribute to these trends. Such information will be helpful for reducing the negative effects of excessive automobile use on the environment, local traffic and public health.
The major objectives of this study are to contribute a new methodology of school transportation mode choice modeling, to provide research on school transportation mode choice to policy makers, and to provide recommendations to school districts for improving the efficiency, safety, and environmental impact of school transportation. Data for this study were collected in three Vermont school districts. The methods of research include a collection of traffic data from streets around selected schools, tallies of student travel modes for one week, and a mail-out/mail-back and internet household survey on travel behavior. The parent survey was designed to gather demographic data, student characteristics, and reasons for mode choice. Double hurdle models were developed using binary logistical regression and multiple regression models to determine the factors that contribute to mode choice and the frequency that each mode is used.
Results indicate the greatest factors that effect mode choice are household activities, perceptions of convenience, safety, and the environment, and distance a child lives from school. The greatest factor affecting the amount of parent-driven trips to school is convenience, including parental work commutes and time savings. Other factors affecting the amount of parent-driven trips are beliefs that the school bus comes too early in the morning, long distances to the bus stop and perceptions of safety. Factors that contribute to school bus ridership include age, distance, and perceptions of safety and the environment. The greatest factor affecting the choice to walk and bike to and from school is the proximity a child lives from school, perceptions of safety, and the age of the child.