Developing an Activity Based Travel Demand Model to Investigate the Impact of New Mobility Services
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Bartlett Sch of Env, Energy & Resources
Abstract
Facing rapid urbanisation, urban transport networks are put under strain requiring public authorities to confront a number of challenges in providing an efficient transportation system. Issues such as congestion and pollution have become more serious with a high reliance on private vehicles, limited space and similar travel patterns of many individuals. The emergence of many new technologies provides the opportunity to overcome some of these difficulties through innovative provision of transportation. One such proposal is Mobility-as-a-Service, an integration of multiple mobility services in terms of access, payment, booking. Despite limited real-world evidence, many proponents hail MaaS as a silver bullet for the challenges of urban transport, resulting in a need for more work to understand the potential impact of MaaS. This thesis builds on the current body of work regarding MaaS, moving from discussions about possible implementations, the business ecosystem and choice modelling regarding choice of subscription to MaaS to the impact MaaS could have on individuals' travel behaviour. It extends the current state-of-the-art activity-based travel demand modelling approaches to incorporate the dynamics of MaaS. A baseline scenario reflecting the current situation will first be developed, before extensions to analyse MaaS are included. A new survey will be conducted in London to understand preferences regarding MaaS and how it may affect travel patterns. The results will be integrated within the proposed modelling approach to understand how MaaS should be introduced to contribute to sustainable urban mobility. Recommendations for policies and business strategies will be provided to key stakeholders as a result of the research.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509577/1 | 01/10/2016 | 24/03/2022 | |||
| 1920810 | Studentship | EP/N509577/1 | 01/10/2017 | 15/08/2022 | Jakub Muscat |
| Description | Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) is an exciting advancement in terms of business models for the provision of transport through the integration of multiple modes of transportation within a single digital interface that integrates booking, payment and ticketing services. There is a lot of hype around the potential this has to change the way transport is both provided and accessed by end-users. Within the work that has been completed through the funding of this award, a modelling framework and methodology for analysis of how MaaS could impact urban transportation was developed. The results from the work so far will then be applied to a given case study in order to understand the impacts the introduction of such a service could have on a city. Additionally, the research has brought to light many important findings with regards to the structure of the business model such companies follow and under what circumstances they should operate in order to fulfill the requirements of the public authorities (in particular certain cities) with regards to sustainability. |
| Exploitation Route | - development of more advanced behavioural models to understand the way people will change their travel behaviour using modelling framework - using the insights into business models in order to better understand policies necessary in order to enable and strengthen the use of MaaS for certain public objectives |
| Sectors | Transport |