Based on the 20 National Household Travel Surveys, this paper analyzes trends and determinants of multimodal car use in the U.S. Most prior research on multimodality focuses on Western European countries. Multimodality, the use of more than one mode of transportation during a specified time period, is gaining recognition as an important mechanism for reducing automobile dependence by shifting trips from automobiles to walking, cycling, or public transportation. Commuting by public transport was found to be a gateway to the use of public transport for other purposes. Although for families the car is often the better choice, single persons tend to be more multimodal. Multimodals opt for public transport in specific situations because it is the better option and not because there is no car available. Less than 20% of multimodals use public transport on a regular basis, for example, to commute. It was found that multimodals employ public transport for specific purposes, whereas the car is universal. Therefore it is necessary to understand multimodal behavior because in an environment where travelers have increasing options, it is important to know how they make use of their options. This group will constitute an increasing share of the public transport clientele in coming decades because the decline of captive public transport riders is foreseeable. Because they use different modes, they can be characterized as multimodals. The findings show that about half of German drivers also use public transport. Results are presented from analysis of individual mode choice behavior in the longitudinal section in Germany.

The Travelers Within by Daniel Mode