Assessing the potential to influence railway station access travel decisions: Melbourne Australia case study

Many heavy rail systems rely on Park and Ride to (PNR) for car-based station access. Providing parking adjacent to stations is expensive, can create local congestion and discourage alternative access modes. Travel surveys in Melbourne, Australia are used to examine current station access mode choice decisions and the potential to reduce reliance on PNR. Station access mode choice decisions vary depending on socio demographic factors, access distance/travel time and line haul travel time/distance. Current PNR user decisions are strongly influenced by parking prices at the ultimate destination and the perception that the car is a faster station access mode than other options. The bicycle is perceived to be cheaper and easier to park access option, but concerns emerge about safety and its travel time, reliability. Nearly half of respondents were interested in accessing the station by bicycle highlighting the scope for tailored programs to influence current station access decisions.