Intermodal mobility: A psychometric and behavioural analysis of public transport users in Porto Metropolitan Area

As a consequence of the several negative externalities associated with car usage, there is a growing pressure to promote more sustainable mobility habits through supporting transport alternatives. An increasingly attractive solution is the concept of intermodal mobility, i.e., the combination of different modes of transport in a single trip, leveraging the strengths of each mode to provide a more sustainable and efficient transport option.

Despite its potential, research on intermodal mobility remains limited, with studies focusing on the travel behaviour of intermodal users being especially rare. However, to gain a comprehensive understanding of intermodality and its potential role in promoting sustainable mobility, it is crucial to explore the intermodal travel behaviour from the user’s point of view, including their patterns and motivations.

Accordingly, the goal of this study was to analyse the travel behaviour of intermodal users, focusing particularly on those that combine public transport (PT). Using a representative mobility survey conducted by the Portuguese National Statistics Institute to the Porto Metropolitan Area (with 40 393 respondents, 1868 of whom intermodal PT users), we have identified and characterized distinct profiles of intermodal PT users through marketing segmentation.

The market segmentation analyses have revealed two profiles of intermodal PT users based on their motivations and perceptions of using PT (i.e., psychometric segmentation) and four profiles based on their main modes of intermodal travel (i.e., behavioural segmentation). Notably, a connection between the psychometric and behavioural segments has been found: choice riders are significantly more likely to use rail options such as metro and train, while captive riders are much more dependent on buses. These findings hold significant policy implications for the promotion of intermodal PT systems, including by highlighting the competitiveness of rail against the private car and the reliance of the most socially disadvantaged groups on the bus.