MODELING MODE CHOICE BEHAVIOR OF EMPLOYEES FOR COMMUTING TO WORK IN RAMALLAH / AL-BIREH GOVERNORATE

Abstract

Background: Mode choice is an important consideration in urban transportation planning, especially in developing countries. Transportations in the West Bank is affected by many challenges, including mobility restrictions, economic constraints, and limited public transportation. This motivated the study to understand how the employees, forming a large share of population, commute on the intercity level. Aims: The goal is to analyze the patterns of employees’ mode choice, examine the factors affecting mode choice behavior, understand mode choice for three periods: normal conditions (pre 7 October war), crisis conditions (post October 7 war), and COVID 19 pandemic, and propose policies for enhancing public transportation. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach (quantitative and qualitative) was used. A survey was conducted utilizing a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 266 out-of-governorate employees commuting to Ramallah-Al Bireh urban area. Discrete choice models considering the multinomial logit modeling approach were estimated to understand mode choice behavior. Four transportation modes were analyzed: private car, shared car, shared taxi, and bus. The influence of extraordinary events on mode choice was analyzed through comparison over the indicated periods. Main Results: Private and shared cars are the main modes for the targeted employees, accounting for 83% of trips, while public transportation attracted only a marginal share. The models for the crisis conditions and the normal conditions demonstrated good statistical fit levels. Mode choice is affected by travel time, cost, gender, marital status, and private car ownership. Participants' sensitivity to time and cost was reduced under crisis situations, with a shift of focus from efficiency-seeking to reliability-seeking. They indicated a significant lack of public transportation service quality. Conclusion: There is predominance of private car choice among available modes for intercity commuters, influenced by the ease of obtaining banking facilities and the inadequacy of public transportation services. Unusual events have a considerable impact on travel behavior, as travelers are willing to pay higher costs and longer times for more trip reliability. The results emphasize the necessity for adopting governmental policies support ridesharing and mass transportation, and the creation of reliable public transportation system.