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What's "quickest and easiest?": parental decision making about school trip mode
Guy Ej Faulkner1, Vanessa Richichi, Ronald N Buliung
1University of Toronto, Faculty of Physical Education and Health, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5 S 2W6, Canada. guy.faulkner@utoronto.ca.
Summary
Parental decisions on children's school travel involve safety and convenience. Parents prioritize safety and child maturity, then choose the easiest mode, often influenced by trip chaining and perceived travel time.
Area of Science:
- Urban Planning
- Child Psychology
- Transportation Studies
Background:
- Active school travel (AST) offers benefits but faces declining use.
- Parental decision-making in school travel mode choice is under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore parental decision-making processes for school travel mode choice.
- To understand factors influencing the shift away from active school travel.
Main Methods:
- Semi-structured interviews with 37 parents in Toronto, Canada.
- Thematic analysis of interview transcripts to identify decision stages.
- Study included schools with varying walkability and socio-economic status.
Main Results:
- A two-stage decision process was identified: escorting and mode choice.
- Initial escort decisions influenced by traffic, safety, and child maturity.
- Mode choice prioritized perceived ease and convenience, affected by travel time, distance, and trip chaining.
Conclusions:
- School travel mode choice is a complex, multi-factorial decision.
- Addressing safety is crucial, but the behavioral costs of convenience and trip chaining also need attention.
- Future initiatives should integrate safety with convenience considerations for active school travel.
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