Maria Bordagaray

Modelling user perception of bus transit quality considering user and service heterogeneity

Transport operating companies and decision-makers not only have to satisfy the demand for transport but they must also provide a quality service which is attractive to customers. This article presents a methodology to model bus transit quality in the city of Santander using user perception data. The perceived quality has been estimated with random-ordered probit models. First, general service user population models are presented which initially only consider the service attributes and later introduce systematic variations in taste which have economic and social implications. Second, the quality perceived in different bus lines is analysed. The results show that each line is perceived differently by its users who prioritise different aspects and that heterogeneity is clearly present in the perception of service quality. However, if the measures that need to be taken aim to improve the overall service, partial effects suggest that changes need to be made in the aspects where improvements have the greatest impact on quality: reliability, journey time, available information and driver kindness, meaning that service improvement strategies need to be designed around these aspects.

Modeling the Effects of Pro Bicycle Infrastructure and Policies Toward Sustainable Urban Mobility

AbstractThis paper aims to determine the potential of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of transport in a medium-sized Spanish city (Santander, in northern Spain) with strong inclines and relatively inclement weather. For this purpose, a general methodology has been designed that could serve as an example for other areas. First, potential bicycle users in the city are characterized and identified through a household survey, which included a complete travel diary. Then they were asked to participate in a stated preference survey designed to find out the relative importance of certain key variables, previously identified, associated with making bicycle journeys. These data were used to estimate mixed logit models allowing to correctly treat the pseudopanel nature of the data. The results indicate that the most important variables among potential users are the cost and the climate, followed by the availability of infrastructure such as cycle paths and an extensive network of both public and private bicycle d...

Modeling the Service Quality of Public Bicycle Schemes Considering User Heterogeneity

This article proposes a methodology for studying the quality of service perceived by users of a public bicycle scheme. The public is involved from the first phases of the research through their presence in focus groups to identify the relevant variables asked about in the survey. Ordered probit models have been calibrated that consider systematic variations in preference and random parameters. The results highlight the importance of safety and available information above other service variables, as well as the adjustment in perception of overall quality after considering each of the characteristics of the service, as it is proposed in this methodology.