Correlates of perceived accessibility across transport modes and trip purposes: Insights from a Swedish survey

Accessibility frequently serves as a central objective in policy and planning due to its significance for travel behavior, health, and economic development. However, until recently, there has been limited attention given to how individuals perceive their accessibility, and even less focus on how these perceptions differ across various transportation modes and trip purposes. This study explores how sociodemographic traits, accessibility indicators, as well as transport resources, attitudes, and habits correlate with perceived accessibility. We assess whether these correlations differ based on transport mode (bicycle, car, public transport, walking) and trip purpose (commuting, grocery shopping, dining out, reaching the city center). Based in the Gothenburg Region, Sweden, this study uses web-panel survey data to capture perceived accessibility. Sixteen ordinal regression models were applied, each tailored to a specific transport mode-activity combination. The results highlight the importance of all categories of correlates in shaping perceived accessibility. Specifically, transport resources, habits, and attitudes exhibit the strongest correlations. Notably, car access, positive car-related attitudes, and frequent car usage are linked to lower perceived accessibility for walking, cycling, and public transport but higher perceived car accessibility. Future studies should consider disaggregating their analyses based on travel mode, as significant disparities exist, particularly between perceived accessibility by car and alternative modes.