Investigation of Impacts of Smartphone Delivered Real-time Multi-modal Information on Commuting Drivers’ Mode Switch Decisions

In this paper, authors investigated the feasibility to use Smartphone application delivering real-time multi-modal information to attract commuting drivers to use "Park+Ride" instead of "drive only" mode. The potential impact of real-time multi-modal information from Smartphone application on mode switch probability is quantified by a mixed probit model with random parameters to capture correlation and heterogeneity among drivers. The model is developed based on data collected from a Stated preference survey in Shanghai, China. The model estimation results show that the probability to switch to "P + R" mode is positively affected by travel lime saving from mode shift, driver's education level and former 'P+R' experience but negatively affected by driver's income, age, gender of female, crowdedness level of rail transit. The policy implication is to provide drivers without "P+R" experience with ridership opportunity in order to greatly increase their future choice probability. Random parameters in the mixed probit model indicate that the sensitivity to travel time saving does not vary substantially but that to crowdedness of rail transit greatly varies among Shanghai travelers. It provides an example to show that travelers may change their attitudes toward recurring congestion or crowdedness in transportation system and adapt themselves to the adverse environment.