The influence of residential location and public transit options on commuters’ intention to use travel apps for different travel purposes

Abstract

While living in city centers is usually linked to higher accessibility levels, shorter travel times, and higher levels of public transit (PT) utilization, the opposite is true for residents of suburban areas. This assumption holds in metropolitan contexts, where central areas offer better accessibility and are associated with higher levels of PT use. In metropolitan peripheries, a large part of commuting is done on an interurban basis, so that the level of use of public transit can be linked to the supply and information available. This work aims to understand the conditions in terms of transit supply and land use, considering the most frequent trip, psychological variables, and the modal choice of commuters’ motorized modes, in the intention to use the new real-time multi-modal travel app, such as advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) for digital mobility-management assistance. A Structural Equation Model is developed to empirically test a sample of 768 respondents collected in two suburban corridors in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA). Finally, our findings indicate that residential location, mode choice, and trip complexity have a relevant influence on the intention to adopt travel apps. Male students belonging to Generation Y/Z are the most likely users of travel apps. Regardless of the reason, travel patterns associated with more complex (more transfers) and more frequent trips can reinforce the intention to use apps. Also, it is worth noting that students are frequent public transit users, and public transit is also related to trip complexity.