Understanding Urban Mobility: Dynamics of Transport Planning and Modal Preferences

Over the years, studies have revealed that the implications of adopting one or the other of transport infrastructure strategies are not neutral on urban planning, sustainability, and landscape development. Studies consistently highlight that expanding highway often results in increased traffic, known as induced demand. As a direct consequence, comparative analysis of various scenarios resulting from introduction or change in transport infrastructure is essential to understand how mobility behavior can be related to spatial aspects and individual preferences in urban transportation. This study aims to evaluating individual transportation choices following the implementation of diverse transport planning proposals for Quebec City, a city oriented on the use of private car and the high supply of highway infrastructure. Based on the MATSim multi-agent simulation model and integrating Eqasim for modal choice analysis, this research adopts a microeconomic perspective. It aims to measure shifts in modal share across different spatial scales, emphasizing localized nuances stemming from changes of the development of a new road link between Quebec City and Lévis introduces by government. The assessment focuses on how different planning scenarios impact modal shares between private vehicles and public transport. Through this research, we simulate three different propositions of the third link through west, center and east of Quebec including the car, public transport, and mixed allowed mode policy for each scenario of single proposition. The findings indicate that the implementation of the proposed third link has minimal impact on reducing car usage. Notably, only the scenario prioritizing public transport shows a substantial change in modal choices. The originality of this research lies in its comprehensive exploration of the intricate connections between transport planning changes and the dynamics of individual travel choices within urban environments.