How Eudaimonic Aspect of Subjective Well-Being Affect Transport Mode Choice? The Case of Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract

In recent years, the relationship between transportation and subjective well-being has been a major subject. Well-being is a factor that can affect travelers’ psychology and transport mode choice. For this reason, policymakers have attempted to improve travelers’ subjective well-being and promote sustainable modes of transport. For a better understanding of these factors, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted to identify the travel eudaimonia aspect of subjective well-being (comfort, safety, autonomy, self-confidence, physical, and mental health), for the various means of transport in the city of Thessaloniki. During the survey, 300 valid questionnaires were completed. The collection of the above data was followed by statistical analysis. The aim of the analysis was to identify the factors of travel eudaimonia that contributed to the mode choice. For that reason, four ordinal regression models were developed to determine how travel eudaimonia affected the usage frequency of the four available means of transport in the city of Thessaloniki (i.e., private car, bicycle, public transport, walking). Walking was rated higher than other modes in all factors, whilst cycling was rated high in physical and mental health, self-confidence, and autonomy, but low in comfort and safety. Public transport scored very low in all factors, demonstrating the poor quality of service provided by the city’s public transport. Moreover, from the ordinal regression models’ results, it could be demonstrated that travel eudaimonia factors had a significant role to play in mode choice. Recognizing the impact of these factors on transport mode choice is particularly useful for policymakers, researchers, and engineers, as it helps them to make informed decisions about what improvements are needed to promote sustainable modes of transport (mainly walking, cycling, and secondarily, public transport).

Keywords

• subjective well-being
• travel eudaimonia
• mode choice
• ordinal regression models