The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has recently published a travel mode research report titled "An enhanced, nationally consistent travel mode choice model". Primarily conducted in 2023, the research was led by Data Analysis Australia in collaboration with the The University of Western Australia and Ranjitkar & Associates 🏢   

The project aimed to improve transport mode choice (cycling, walking, driving etc.) modelling by incorporating `Hybrid choice` approaches which incorporate  psychological factors, such as perceptions of safety, habits and perceived comfort, with the objective factors traditionally associated with mode choice models. such as demographics, travel time, cost and trip characteristics. These psychological factors frequently called latent variables, are ideally measured using purpose-built surveys. While no such survey was available for this project, a data set from an alternative survey was adapted to demonstrate the improved predictive capacity of a hybrid choice model.  
The statistical modelling implementation involved feature engineering a large longitudinal journey experience survey respondent data set into predictive mode choice variables, using confirmatory factor analysis to identify indicators for the psychological variables, and structural equation modelling to model mode choice and journey experience 🤔💭📈   

The model outputs identified that habit has significant influence on mode selection for public transport users, that perceptions of safety strongly influence journey preference and that comfort and ease of use are important contributors to journey satisfaction. Additionally, the importance of travel aspects such as service quality, weather, scenery and comfort was found to vary between traveller group types 🚍🚉🚄   

Data Analysis Australia consultants, both current and former, Cecilia Xia, Rebecca Herbst, Damian Warpenius, Anna Hayes (Munday) and John Henstridge thank their collaborators and co-authors Ramesh Chandra Majhi, PhD and Prakesh Ranjtkar (Ranjitkar & Associates), and Dr Derek Swe and Simon Farrell (UWA), and the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for being collaborative, inquisitive and great clients to work with 📜📰   

A link to the project summary is found below, and the full manuscript is published here: https://lnkd.in/geVqEjGY