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IPOD Abstract for presentation (Poster or Podium)

Transportation and Public Health

1666897 - Exploring the Impacts of Air Quality on Travel Behavior and Activity Participation in Northern Utah

Monday, June 17, 2024
1:50 PM - 2:10 PM ET
Room: 219
Abstract:

In this study, we explore whether and how area-wide air pollution affects individuals’ activity participation and travel behaviors. Using multi-day travel survey data provided by 403 adults from 230 households in a small urban area in northern Utah, US, we analyze a series of 20 activity and travel outcomes. We investigate the effects of three different metrics of (measured and perceived) air quality on these outcomes, controlling for personal and household characteristics. Our models find some measurable changes in traveler behaviors on days with poor air quality. More people used active transportation modes, but active mode users did not walk or bicycle more. In contrast, air pollution did not encourage more people to use public transit, but transit users rode the bus more. Few statistically significant shifts in driving were discovered. In one set of models, on days with “unhealthy” air quality, there were some large changes in travel behavior (more walking/bicycling and transit use, less driving), but this situation was rare (only 1% of observations), calling into question the magnitude of the estimated relationships. Overall, the results are somewhat encouraging, finding more evidence of altruistic than risk-averse travel behavioral responses to episodes of area-wide air pollution.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees can expect to learn the following from this session:
  • Identify the relationship between air quality and travel behavior in the US.
  • Identify the role of the poor air quality in trip-making by travel mode.
  • Help policymakers to spread awareness of the harms of air pollution from automobile emissions and to encourage people to choose less polluting modes on poor air quality days.