01127274

Component

While children are increasingly being driven to and from schools, it is important to identify the factors that have contributed to this trend. Such information will be helpful for reducing the negative effects of excessive automobile use on the environment, local traffic and public health. This study collected primary data from three Vermont school districts and used the data to identify the factors that may determine the probability for a student to be dropped off in the morning and the probability for a student to be picked up in the afternoon. The data are also used to examine the impact of alternative factors on the frequency that students are driven to and from school. The research methods used in this study include mail and web-based surveys and a double-hurdle model. The double-hurdle model combines a binary logit model for the probability of being driven by parents and a linear regression model for the frequency of being driven by parent. The models indicate that convenience is the greatest factor affecting the choice of automobile mode and the number of parent-driven trips per week. Parent work commutes and perceptions regarding inconveniences of the school bus contribute to the automobile mode being used for school transportation. Ratings of modal safety and environmental opinions about modes are also reasons for parent-driven trips to school.

01120148

09-3753

English

13p

2009

Transportation Research Board 88th Annual Meeting

DVD

References (21) ; Tables (4)

Mode choice; Parents; School children; School safety; School trips; Schools; Speed zones; Traffic safety; Travel surveys

Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2009 Paper #09-3753

TRIS, TRB

Jan 30 2009 8:10PM