Influence of TOD Modes on Passenger Travel Behavior in Urban Rail Transit Systems

Transit-oriented development (TOD) mode refers to the integrated development of high-density and multi-functional land in the vicinity of core public transportation stations to increase public transportation rates and address problems such as traffic congestion and land shortages. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend the relationship between TOD areas and the travel behavior of rail transit residents. However, the income level and occupation of residents have a significant impact on their travel behavior, as people tend to choose their residential, work, and entertainment areas based on their economic characteristics. This paper focuses primarily on two aspects: how to distinguish TOD areas from non-TOD areas (specifically, rail stations) and the variations in the travel behavior of the people residing in these areas. Rail stations were first classified via cluster analysis according to the selected TOD indexes; then, a propensity score matching method was applied to control the influence of self-selection behavior. Based on this, the matched results were analyzed to study the difference in the travel behavior characteristics of residents in TOD and non-TOD areas. The results indicate that residents in TOD areas are more likely to travel by public transportation than those from non-TOD areas. The findings of this study promote a people-oriented urban planning concept and would have practical implications for applications of TOD modes on urban public transportation systems.