Participation and Incentive Choice of Participants in an Early Vehicle Retirement Program in Quebec, Canada

Abstract

Early vehicle retirement programs are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and traffic safety, and stimulate the economy by replacing the automobile fleet with vehicles that pollute less. The Province of Quebec's early vehicle retirement program also was designed as a mode shift tool by offering six incentives that included transit passes, rebates on bicycles and vehicles, and membership in a car-sharing cooperative. The characteristics associated with program participation and incentive choice were assessed. Between 2009 and 2011, more than 40,000 participants registered with the program and provided address, choice of incentive, age of vehicle, gender, and age. Census data provided measures of the built and social environments near participants' residences. The determinants of program participation rates were assessed with the use of Tobit regressions. Incentive choice was modeled with a multinomial logistic regression. Participation rates were high in low-density metropolitan areas and high-density nonmetropolitan areas as well as in areas with low unemployment rates, few immigrants, and young populations. Transit incentives were popular in dense metro politan centers with a large proportion of women, young people, and high incomes. Older participants were likely to choose car rebates, whereas bicycle incentives were associated with young male participants. Participants in low-income areas were likely to choose the cash incentive. The addition of incentive options that are feasible in low-density or low-income areas should be considered. Alternative transportation incentives are chosen primarily in dense urban environments where a mode shift is feasible.