Influence of latent attitudinal factors on the multimodality post-secondary students in Toronto

The study explores the causal relationships between latent factors and various observed external variables along with their ability to explain multimodal behaviours of post-secondary students in Toronto. Multimodality was measured by the number of unique modes used by any individual for their daily travels. As opposed to using a single mode of transportation, use of multiple modes for different trips indicates the degree and the nature of multimodality. For the empirical investigation, the study uses structural equation modelling and ordered probability modelling for a dataset collected through a large-scale travel diary survey among four major universities in Toronto representing over 180 000 post-secondary students in the region. The results of the empirical investigation reveal that latent attitudes are influential factors in determining the multimodal behaviour of post-secondary students in Toronto. The results also found that mobility tool ownership and land use characteristics have a significant influence on those latent attitudes, and are direct determinants of the degree of multimodality. In particular, the results indicate that smart fare payment cards have a considerable effect on latent attitudes for post-secondary students. These findings could have policy implication from the planning perspective and should warrant further investigations.