Analysis of travel patterns between road and transit-oriented development areas

The objectives of this study are to analyze the travel patterns based on social changes between 1996 and 2002, and then to identify main implications in transport policies in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA). In SMA, there are many changes during 6 years. For example, SMA has changed the paradigm of transportation policy from car-oriented policy to public-oriented policy. So, this study examines the general travel pattern changes in the SMA and compares the travel patterns of regions invested in road construction (road-invested areas) with those of regions invested in transit (transit-invested areas). Study results show that while road investment had little effect on reducing congestion, the number of cars decreased in transit-invested areas due to the modal shift to transit modes. This study suggests that transit-oriented policies should be utilized as a solution to overcome severe traffic congestion.