Research
How Changes in Urban Form Influences Changes in Journey To Work Mode Choice ? (A Case Study of Sydney Metropolitan Region)
Suburbanization of employment and decentralization of residential workers experienced by most cities has contributed to more dependence on the car and a decreasing trend in public transportation share, leading to a less sustainable city over time.In order to overcome this condition, it is important to understand how changes in urban form influenced changes in mode choice of the residents. By using 1981-1996 Journey to Work Data for Sydney Metropolitan Region and applying multiple regression, this study investigates the relationship between changes in urban form and changes in commuting mode choices. The results indicated that the outer ring residents experienced a significantly higher increase in bus modal share compared to that of the inner and middle ring. On the other hand, the inner ring residents experienced a significantly greater increase in the proportion using train than that of the other regional rings. Local Government Areas (LGAs) with a greater increase in accessibility to jobs by bus and a greater increase in average job distances are associated with greater decrease in the proportion using car. Increasing the ratio of residential workers to jobs and accessibility to jobs by car was associated with decreases in the proportion using bus. Increasing the average jobs distance, proportion of workers employed in the CBD and proportion of residential workers was associated with an increase in the proportion using train.
