Heightening walking above its pedestrian status: walking and travel behavior in California
PI: E. Blumenberg, UCLA 
$96,700

Abstract: People walk a lot—to walk pets, to exercise and recreate, and to access public transit and local shops. Walk trips begin and end almost every journey, even trips made by automobile. Data from the current California Household Travel Survey (CHTS) show that walking occurs more than trips by both transit and bicycle, making it the second most common travel mode in California. Yet outside of select case studies in specific metropolitan areas, we know very little about walking behavior in California. An improved understanding of the determinants of walking will aid efforts to reduce driving and achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Therefore, in this study we propose to analyze walking behavior in four major California regions (Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego). We will examine walking behavior and how it has changed since 2000, model the determinants of walking, andanalyze to what extent these determinants vary across regions. We will pair our statistical analysis with a set of interviews intended to understand whether and how walking trips are included in regional travel demand models. Combined, our analysis will provide the basis for a set of recommendations to encourage walking and to better incorporate walking in future data collection efforts and regional travel demand models.

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