Quantification and Analysis of Land-Use Effects on Travel Behavior in Smaller Indian Cities: Case Study of Agartala

Abstract

The land-use mix observed in the smaller Indian cities is peculiar, and in this context there were no past studies on how the land-use mix influences the travel pattern. The existing indices used for quantifying the land-use mix were found to have limitations in capturing the characteristics of land-use mix observed in the smaller Indian cities. The present study analyzed the drawbacks and limitations of the existing indices and modified the dissimilarity and entropy indices, as well as formulated new indices suitable to quantify the mixed land use. The objectives behind the mix quantification were to capture the land-use balance, land-use mix, and land-use complementarity. The modified dissimilarity and entropy indices were found to be significant in explaining the variation in the trip lengths as well as preference toward nonmotorized transport (NMT). Proposed new parameters such as the area index and mix-type index were found to be significant in explaining the variability observed in the trip length and the nonmotorized mode choice. From the elasticity analysis it has been observed that a slight change in the land-use mix significantly affects the travel patterns. Further, from the estimated multinomial logit (MNL) models it has been observed that the mixed land-use parameter was found to be significant in explaining the choice of public transport and nonmotorized modes.