Investigating commute mode and route choice variability in Jakarta using multi-day GPS Data

Traffic congestion has become a part of commuters’ life in Jakarta for several years. Even though 3-in-1 traffic regulation has been implemented since 1992 in order to reduce the number of car driver travelling in busy corridors during morning and evening peak hours, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has been operated since 2004, which is aimed to attract car drivers to use public transport, the traffic congestion problem in Jakarta has not been solved. The condition is even predicted to worse if the transport facilities in Jakarta are not improved. In order to find effective measures for reducing car use and improving public transport attractiveness in Jakarta, better understanding of commute mode and route choice behavior would be advantageous. This paper reports the first results of data analysis regarding dynamic behavior of commuters’ mode and route choice in Jakarta. The data were collected using GPS devices including questionnaire sheets during a one-week period. 93 commuters participated in the survey. Even though commute trips are routine trips and therefore often assumed to be static, the results show the presence of dynamic behavior in choosing both modes and routes for commuting. The dynamic behavior is as a way to avoid traffic congested roads and 3-in-1 corridors, and to maintain trip-chaining activities/stops. Car drivers and motorcyclists change frequently their routes, especially during work-to-home trips. Motorcyclists were more dynamic in choosing their routes than car drivers. A unique pattern of mode and route choice behavior was found which can be used for developing mode and route choice model in Jakarta.