Influence of Generational Cohorts on First and Last Mile Mode Choices Using Multinomial Logit Models

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

8:30 AM – 8:45 AM MT

Primary Author(s)

Baishali Rahman, M.S. (she/her/hers)

Ph.D. Candidate and Doctoral Research Assistant
Advanced Traffic Analysis Center (ATAC), Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI), North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND, United States

Presenter(s)

Baishali Rahman, M.S. (she/her/hers)

Ph.D. Candidate and Doctoral Research Assistant
Advanced Traffic Analysis Center (ATAC), Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI), North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND, United States

Co-Author(s)

DM

Diomo Motuba, PhD

Associate Professor, Transportation and Supply Chain, Associate Research Fellow, UGPTI
Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND, United States

Presenter(s)

DM

Diomo Motuba, PhD

Associate Professor, Transportation and Supply Chain, Associate Research Fellow, UGPTI
Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND, United States

Submitter(s)

Baishali Rahman, M.S. (she/her/hers)

Ph.D. Candidate and Doctoral Research Assistant
Advanced Traffic Analysis Center (ATAC), Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI), North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND, United States

Abstract: This study investigates the influence of generational cohorts on first and last-mile (FLM) mode choices among transit users in Atlanta using multinomial logit models. The analysis incorporates socio-demographic, built environment, trip characteristics, and travel behavior variables as control variables in the model to ensure robust and unbiased results. Data from the 2019 Transit On-Board Survey of the Atlanta Metro Area, one of the largest pre-pandemic transit ridership surveys, was utilized to conduct the analyses. Findings from this study reveal significant differences in FLM mode choices across generational cohorts. Results show that compared to Generation Z, older cohorts are more likely to use personal vehicles for first and last-mile trips, while Generation Y and Generation X show higher probabilities of choosing shared vehicles. Generation Z shows a greater preference for active transportation modes such as walking and biking. Built environment factors indicate that users from commercial or industrial areas have a lower likelihood of choosing active modes over walking than those from residential areas. Socio-demographic factors reveal that larger household sizes and higher vehicle ownership correlate with increased personal vehicle use. Additionally, travel behavior analysis shows infrequent transit users prefer shared and personal vehicles for FLM trips. These results call for generationally tailored policies and infrastructure improvements to encourage sustainable FLM transportation choices and enhance public transit accessibility.
Keywords: First and Last Mile, Mode Choice, Generational Cohorts, Public Transit, Multinomial Logit Model.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees can expect to learn the following from this session:

Upon completion, participants will be able to describe the influence of generational cohorts on first and last mile mode choices among transit users.
Upon completion, participants will be able to evaluate the impact of socio-demographic variables, built environment, and travel behavior factors on the first and last-mile mode choices of different generational cohorts.
Upon completion, participants will be able to propose generationally tailored policy recommendations for encouraging sustainable first and last-mile transportation modes to improve public transit accessibility.