Assessing the Impact of Individuals' Social Characteristics and Functional Aspects of Tehran's Metro on the Choice of Travel Pattern

Abstract

Rapid urbanization, driven by industrial development and growing automobile dependency, has led to imbalanced urban expansion, traffic congestion, and extended travel times. As Tehran, the capital of Iran, continues to grow, this study examines urban travel patterns to inform sustainable mobility and transportation planning. The primary objective is to assess how individuals' social characteristics and the functional attributes of Tehran’s metro system influence travel mode choice.

A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating qualitative and quantitative data collected through surveys and questionnaires. A Mixed Logit Model was used to analyze travel mode choice for commuting between home and workplace. The analysis revealed two major categories of influencing factors: (1) socio-economic characteristics and (2) functional aspects of metro services. Among the statistically significant variables, gender, age, metro travel time, and perceived vitality/productivity positively influenced metro usage, with marginal effects of 0.1088, 0.240, 0.0036, and 0.1429, respectively. While other variables were statistically insignificant, their signs were consistent with theoretical expectations.

The findings provide critical insights into travel behavior in Tehran and enhance the understanding of metro use as a component of sustainable urban transport systems.

• Travel time, cost savings, and ease of movement between home and workplace are significantly associated with individuals’ travel pattern choices.
• Visibility of metro stations, continuity and quality of sidewalks, proximity to stations, and the availability of bicycle parking facilities significantly affect willingness to use the metro.

• Although the metro contributes to reducing private vehicle use, car ownership does not have a statistically significant effect on travel mode choice for commuting.