[sustran] Re: Transportation Modal Choice in Asian Cities

[Lloyd Wright]

Dear Cornie,

Thanks for putting together the table of modal choice data.  I think more than
anything the spreadsheet points to the lack of a consistent approach to
collecting such data.  One can particularly see this with non-motorised trips,
which in many cases are not even included in the modal choice analysis.  

Of course, there are a number of difficulties in collecting data on walking
trips.  Some transport models will arbitrarily choose a minimum distance that
must be travelled before a trip becomes an official trip.  The other
difficulty occurs with journeys involving multiple modes.  Virtually all trips
involve walking at some point, and yet the walking portion is frequently not
counted at all.

My other observation of mode share numbers in Asia is the relative lack of
awareness amongst municipal officials.  Even in the cities where some data
exists, officials will have little dat-to-day interest in the numbers.  Thus,
it is not just a matter of collecting the data, but perhaps more importantly
it is a matter of effectively "marketing" the data.  

For this reason, I am not sure how valuable a major data collection effort in
Asia would be.  As I have perhaps mentioned previously to you, I think perhaps
the most effective means of raising awareness is through some sort of ranking
system.  Ranking cities by mode share or perhaps by the correlation of mode
share to actual investment in particular modes could be a high-profile means
of focussing attention.  Municipal officials very much care about the outside
perception of their cities.  Nobody wants to be last in terms of footpaths or
public transport.  And yet, outside of a ranking, the same officials may give
little or no attention to these issues.  Well, this is just one idea.  

Many thanks to everyone who helped contribute to your database.  It is very
good information to have.

Best regards,

Lloyd