Factors associated with students' parking-pass purchase decisions: Evidence from an American University

The primary objective of this research is to provide an in-depth understanding about factors affecting university students' parking-pass purchase decisions by integrating concepts and variables developed in various disciplines. A sample of 2253 undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) collected through a web-based survey is used for this study. Results from cross-tabulation analysis and logistic regression indicate that parking-pass purchase decisions are largely determined by students' car ownership, daily car-use habits, and faster mobility needs despite viable alternatives. Conversely purchase decisions have little relation to gender, race/ethnicity, income, and environmental concerns. Holding a parking pass fulfilled students' aspirations seeking safety, reliability, flexibility, spontaneity, and mobility. Most importantly, socio-economic status and psychological motives of car use have the greatest magnitude of predicting parking-permit purchases, while the built environment where students live has a minor influence.