Relationship between mode choice and the location of supermarkets – empirical analysis in Austria
Summary. Main goal of the study work is to gain data about shopping and mobility behaviour at small local supermarkets with sales floor space less than 1.000 m 2 . Four location types have been defined and discussed; rural − peripheral location, rural − central location, urban – central location and urban – peripheral location. 200 shoppers each location were interviewed at the exit of the supermarket, which means a total of 800 interviews were carried out during all day times and working days of the supermarket. As expected, the mode choice is strongly dependent on the location of the supermarket. In car oriented settlements, which can be found at rural peripheral locations, nearly all shoppers accessed the supermarket with their cars. If weighting the expenditure per visit with the frequency of visits, the average expenditure per month and mode can be derived. The average purchase per month between the modes is more or less balanced. A difference in behaviour lies in the fact that cyclists and pedestrians go shopping more frequently but are spending less per visit. Additionally, the results of this study are indicating the existence of a potential mode shift, especially if there is better land use planning for supermarket locations. Furthermore, considering the given situation and a given threshold of less than 5 kilograms of weight of the goods purchased, more than fifty percent of all shoppers could use non motorised modes with insignificant loss of travel quality. Combined with short travel distances to the next shop (the average distance is 4.9 km), a change to alternative means of transport would be relatively easy for a significant number of shoppers. different food shops within the city of Salzburg. Main results were: (1) Shopping trips are usually very short: 34% of all shoppers interviewed, who approached the supermarket by car, travel less than 1 kilometre, 84% travel less than 5 kilometres. (2) Approximately half of the shoppers argued, they would not be able to use a bicycle because of the weight of their purchased goods. (3) The expenses of the purchased products is independent from mode used, especially private car and bicycle. (4) The
Off-Street Parking Regulations for Shopping Facilities: Potential Impacts and Scope of Implementation
Curbing continuing car traffic growth in urban areas is often considered to be a role for urban political leaders. Some legal, financial, and organizational instruments to counteract car traffic have been approved in many European cities. Regulations concerning the off-street parking of cars are quite new, but they also could make a contribution to a reduction in car traffic. These regulations could include high obligatory parking costs for private off-street car parks that attract urban shopping centers. This paper will show the effectiveness and acceptance of such “new” instruments based on results of a stated preference survey, as well as give recommendations for the implementation of results of an efficiency analysis conducted for the areas of Vienna, Niederoesterreich, and Burgenland in Austria. The conclusions of this research will also be relevant for ongoing discussions about the implementation of off-street parking regulations and their contribution to a reduction in private car traffic outside of the study area.
Integrating mobility management in land development planning with off-street parking regulations
Parking policy is widely seen today as a proper tool for influencing mobility behavior in urban and rural areas. Stories of success have been reported due to regulation of on-street parking capacity and pricing. The implementation of such measures is business as usual in urban areas and is both expected and accepted by travelers entering cities in private cars. But what about privately owned off-street parking space? Attractive car parks supplying sufficient capacity free of charge are generating considerable private car traffic because of shopping, leisure, or commuter trips. To avoid these effects, regulations have to be integrated at an early stage of land development. To discuss possible ways to implement such tools in the Vienna (Austria) region, the city and surrounding provinces commissioned the Institute for Transport Studies to carry out a best practices and transferability study. Based on semistructured in-depth interviews with experts in about 30 European conurbations, most of the authorities are aware of this problem and are beginning to develop appropriate tools to manage mobility side by side with land development.