Effect of built environment measures on trip distance and mode choice decision of non-workers from a city of a developing country, India

This paper investigates the influence of built environment measures on trip distance and walking decision of non-workers by segmenting the populace based on trip purpose, vehicle ownership, and the presence of school-going children in households. The built environment measures of home zone of individuals considered for the present analysis include zonal population density, zonal school enrolment, land use mix diversity index, and an indicator variable that captures if neighbourhoods have footpaths of adequate width available. Statistical analyses conducted on home-based trips indicate that an increase in the land use diversity of a zone has its strongest negative effect on distance travelled for participating in personal/household business activities. The non-vehicle owning group exhibit a higher tendency to walk than the vehicle-owning group for an increase in the land use diversity of zones. Further, the study suggests that school-enrolment in a zone also influences the travel decisions of non-workers in families with school-going children.