School Location and Student Travel Analysis of Factors Affecting Mode Choice

This study is the first to examine the relationship between mode of travel to school and the full range of factors that might affect mode choice. With data from Gainesville, Florida, a multinomial logit model was estimated to explain school mode choice for a sample of K-12 students. Students with shorter walk or bike times to school proved significantly more likely to walk or bike. If confirmed through subsequent research, this finding argues for neighborhood schools serving nearby residential areas. Students traveling through areas with sidewalks on main roads were also more likely to walk. If confirmed, this finding argues for "safe routes to school" sidewalk improvements. As noteworthy as the significant factors are those that did not prove significant. School enrollment was not significant after controlling for travel time between home and school. Larger schools may draw students from larger areas and thereby indirectly affect mode choices. But school size does not appear to have a direct effect on mode choices. Land use variables such as density and mix also were not significant. The travel behavior literature emphasizes the importance of such variables in travel decision making. Apparently, school trips are different. They tend to be unlinked to other activities, and thus reduce the need for proximity to other land uses. They are mandatory; thus the walking environment may be less important than it is with discretionary travel. And school trips involve children, who may be less sensitive to walking conditions than are their adult counterparts.