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Abstract

U.S. residents across many regions continue to face episodes of poor air quality due in part to pollution and emissions from the transportation sector. Strategies to encourage travel behavior changes and reduced driving during such events may or may not be effective. To illuminate how area-wide air pollution affects traveler behaviors and to better understand the potential for travel behavior change strategies, we developed a multi-phase longitudinal (travel) survey data collection effort in Cache County, Utah, involving an initial survey about personal and household characteristics, a series of three two-day travel diary surveys during winter 2019, and a final survey about perceptions. We then analyzed the resulting data. First, we studied how measured (or perceived) poor air quality affected individuals' daily travel amounts, finding little change in trip frequencies or total travel times. We did find that respondents were mostly aware of when air pollution levels were elevated. Second, we studied the degree to which people attributed the responsibility for air pollution to themselves or others, finding three groups of people differentiated by various travel, perceptual, and personal characteristics. People assuming more responsibility reported more travel behavior changes. Third, we analyzed 20 different activity and travel outcomes (taken from the travel diary surveys) for associations with air quality, while controlling for personal/household characteristics and neighborhood type. We found some "altruistic" travel behavior changes in response to air pollution, as well as differences for urban vs. suburban/rural residents. More research on these topics is needed in different urban areas.

How to Cite

Singleton, Patrick, Prasanna Humagain, Fariba Soltani Mandolakani, and Mahyar Vahedi Saheli. Investigating Travel Behavior and Air Quality in Northern Utah, MPC-24-528. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Mountain-Plains Consortium, 2024.