Identifying main drivers for students and staff members’ choice or to work/study from home or attend university campus and their transport mode choice: a case study in Australia

Abstract

Universities are major trip attractors and generators in large cities, and they have a significant influence on the transport network particularly in high-density areas. The trips to and from university campuses are made by staff, students, and visitors, with an important daily rotation of people (e.g., students who leave early, arrive later, etc.). In this study, we aim to improve our understanding of the trips made to the University of Sydney campuses, one of the largest universities in Australia, through investigation of how individuals (namely, staff and students) choose to study/work from home and their modes of transport used to go to campus on different days of the week. We have collected three sets of data: one in 2022 and two in 2023, using a survey answered by both staff and students. A hybrid logit model including latent variables is estimated to understand the motivations and main drivers to work/study from home and to choose different modes of transport when attending campus. The results indicate that while travel times and costs/fare are important, they are not the primary factors influencing travel behaviour and mode choices. One key factor was whether staff and students worked or studied from home and campus on the same day, with these individuals more likely to use active transport modes, which is also associated with living closer to campus. Students living farther from campus tend to attend more frequently and primarily use public transport. Social connections and a preference for in-person activities are significant motivations that drive different weekly mobility decisions.