Impact of Neighborhood Walkability on Trip Generation and Trip Chaining: Case of Los Angeles

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test whether a compact neighborhood design is associated with trip-chaining behavior. Trip chaining is regarded as a growing phenomenon in travel and activity behavior because people seek to minimize the travel time and cost required to accomplish their daily activities based on the available time budget and other needs. In this study, trip-chaining patterns were examined over a survey day, giving insight into the association between land use and the planning of the trip and its distance, as well as the preferred mode of transportation. A tour consists of a combination of individual trips, including all of the stops that are made along the way. A series of multivariate models was used separately for different types of tours segmented into simple (one destination) and complex (more than one destination), and into work and nonwork tours. The results confirmed the idea that trip chaining diminishes the likelihood of using nonmotorized modes of transportation. In addition, local land use and walkability have a limited effect on work-related tours, but these factors are significantly related to nonwork tours. A resident who lives in a more walkable neighborhood is likely to take simple, albeit more frequent nonwork tours and conduct their nonwork activities on foot or by public transport, which reduces their use of vehicles during the day. These findings lead to the conclusion that there is more opportunity to use urban design policies to influence nonwork tours than work tours.