Do the Effects of ICT Use on Trip Generation Vary across Travel Modes? Evidence from Beijing

Abstract

With the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), considerable attention is being paid to the relationship between ICT use and travel behavior. However, it is unclear whether the effects of ICT use on trip generation vary across travel modes. Based on the data of 1022 respondents collected by a web-based questionnaire survey in Beijing, this study used a zero-inflated Poisson model to investigate the effects of ICT use on trip generation in different travel modes, in which ICT use was measured by both the time spent online and the Internet use frequency. The results indicated that the effects of ICT use on trip generation vary across auto, transit, and active trips. Moreover, two measurements of ICT use play essential roles in influencing a trip generation. Specifically, only the frequency of ordering food online showed a positive association with the likelihood of generating any transit trips. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering the differences across travel modes when analyzing the relationship between ICT use and trip generation.