Understanding Sustainable Transportation User Behavior and Perceptions through Longitudinal Probe and Survey Data Analysis

Cities are rapidly evolving to address sustainable transportation challenges beyond traditional mobility and accessibility criteria by referring to new tools and technologies. Transportation data generation has also been revolutionized over the last century through emerging digital technologies. With advances in data collection and analysis, Big Data helps discover behaviors and trends that were impossible before. Recent sources of transport Big Data (e.g., open data, new sensor data) provide both the public and private sectors with the ability to investigate the relationships between city infrastructure, means of transport, and user behavior. Researchers have also been using low-cost Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to better understand sustainable transportation choice behaviors by collecting real-time data through smartphone apps or onboard devices.

This dissertation demonstrates how longitudinal studies based on probe data and surveys can be utilized to advance city policymaking. To this end, four studies are presented to deliver comprehensive insights, empirical evidence, and approaches or tools that can inform sustainable transportation policy and practice. The first study focused on e-bike utilitarian riders by collecting and analyzing surveys and GPS records of their rides. The results provide an assessment of the travel behavior of e-bike riders and provide insights into the factors that influence their mode choice. The second study empirically monitored and evaluated e-trike performance through a case study and demonstrated how GPS data coupled with publicly available data could be used to develop various performance indicators. The third study compared and contrasted the travel behaviors and use patterns of bikes and e-bikes within a docked bikeshare system. The fourth study assessed the travel behavior of transit riders and micromobility users at both local and national levels through thirteen waves of surveys distributed from May 2020 to October 2021 and described the relationships between public transportation riding behaviors and perceptions and how they change as the COVID-19 situation evolves over time. The results of this dissertation can provide policymakers with tools and approaches that can be applied elsewhere to assess the potentials and challenges in multimodal planning of the cities and evaluate the environmental aspects of relying on greener modes of transportation.