Differentiating the influence of accessibility, attitudes, and demographics on stop participation and frequency during the evening commute

Understanding the stop-making behavior of commuters is important for planners and policy makers in their efforts to improve travel demand models and to develop transportation demand management strategies. Previous studies have identified various determinants of commuters’ stop generation. However, the way in which accessibility affects stop-making decisions is not clear. Further, few studies have considered the impacts of attitudes and predispositions, which extensively influence travel behavior. Using 1256 commuters in Northern California, this study investigates the influences of accessibility and attitudes on evening commute stop-making behavior. Based on a bivariate selection model, we found that the propensity of workers to make stops is dependent on their attitudes, work-related attributes, neighborhood accessibility, and sociodemographic characteristics, whereas the frequency of trip chaining is primarily determined by sociodemographic characteristics. Accordingly, if we offer commuters opportunities to stop through land-use and transportation policies, they may tend to do so, but the intensity of chaining behavior depends on household needs, the individual’s role in the household, and personal time constraints.