Promoting Sustainable Travel within Communities through Behavioral Interventions and Emerging Mobility Solutions: Stage 2

Term Start:

June 1, 2024

Term End:

May 31, 2025

Budget:

$200,000

Keywords:

Accessibility, Behavioral Interventions, Equity, Mobility

Thrust Area(s):

Data Modeling and Analytic Tools, Equity and Understanding User Needs

University Lead:

Georgia Institute of Technology

Researcher(s):

Srinivas Peeta

The primary objective of the project is to systematically nudge communities towards societal travel goals of mobility, accessibility, environmental sustainability, and equity by addressing the challenges of low adoption of sustainable travel modes (e.g., transit, walking, biking) and limited access to societal services/activities (e.g., jobs, medical, grocery stores) for disadvantaged groups (e.g., travelers in transit deserts, low-income neighborhoods). It seeks to address these challenges by implementing the systematic framework developed in Stage 1 by leveraging behavioral interventions and emerging mobility solutions. Key outputs of Stage 1 included the development of behavioral models (based on data collected through online surveys) and exploration of emerging mobility solutions (e.g., micromobility, ridehailing, and partnerships between public and private mobility service providers) in a generic context. Complementing the foundational work in Stage 1, Stage 2 focuses on the practical implementation of the framework by leveraging the City of Peachtree Corners (PTC), GA, as a living lab. It involves:

  • Prototype App Development: The prototype smartphone app, currently in development, builds on the progress in Stage 1. It features functionalities to collect sociodemographic and travel data, deliver real-time interventions for sustainable travel, and gather participant feedback.
  • Community Engagement: Engaging with PTC stakeholders (i.e., residents, governance, and mobility service providers) is crucial to ensure alignment of behavioral interventions and emerging mobility solutions with community needs. The project team will leverage the ongoing partnership with PTC and its mobility service providers and utilize the smartphone app to connect with residents to foster a collaborative approach to solution development.
  • Behavioral Intervention-Related Field Test: A field test will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the portfolio of behavioral interventions to promote sustainable travel behavior. A representative PTC sample will be recruited. Baseline data related to sociodemographics and travel behavior collected via the app will guide customization of interventions and modification of Stage 1 behavioral models to ensure consistency with PTC travel-related behaviors. Personalized real-time interventions will be delivered to the participants via the app. Data and feedback will be collected on their effectiveness.
  • Development of Emerging Mobility Solutions: Emerging modes, such as micromobility and autonomous shuttles, are already initiated in PTC. The project will leverage these modes to customize the emerging mobility solutions (from Stage 1) to enhance access and equity in PTC. Recommendations for other communities will be made to ensure broader impact and scalability.
  • Framework Evaluation: Using the data collected during field tests and insights gained through the development of emerging mobility solutions, the proposed framework will be evaluated to verify its efficacy in addressing societal challenges. This will lead to actionable recommendations and guidelines for other communities to adopt the framework and make progress towards their societal travel goals.

The novelty of this proposal lies in its interdisciplinary approach and its focus on practical implementation. By integrating knowledge from transportation, urban planning, multimodal operations, behavioral economics, machine learning, optimization, and data analytics, it generates innovative solutions to complex societal challenges. Additionally, the emphasis on real-world applicability, demonstrated through engagement with PTC and the development of a prototype smartphone app, sets this project apart. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, the project helps advance the field of sustainable travel.

Project scope

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