Exploring impacts of perceived and actual air pollution on commuters’ mode choice

Since people’s decisions are usually based on their perception, Air Pollution Perception (APP) can affect travel mode changes. This research examines the effects of APP and actual air pollution on commuters’ mode choice by developing a hybrid choice model. During a cross-sectional survey in Karaj, the fourth most populous city in Iran, 768 valid questionnaires were gathered including 2795 trips. The results show that APP had a negative effect on choosing public transit. Moreover, the findings indicate that commuters are more likely to use their cars when they feel less in control over air pollution. The findings may be useful in planning policies to manage people’s perception of air pollution in order to make public transit more desirable for car commuters, especially in polluted urban areas.