An impact assessment of a travel behavior change program: A case study of a light rail service in Cagliari, Italy

This paper presents an experimental Voluntary Travel Behavior Change (VTBC) program implemented in Cagliari (Italy) for promoting a light rail service. More specifically (1) Personalized Travel Planning (PTP) and (2) Public Transport Information and Marketing (PTIM) are analyzed both as forming an integral part of a single VTBC program, as well as separately. Further, they are compared in order to evaluate their impact on travel behavior change. In particular, PTP offers personalized and customized travel solutions devised on the basis of individuals' observed travel behavior, to encourage them to travel more sustainably while the PTIM uses more general information to promote public transit use through advertising campaigns. The results, in both cases, seem to have important policy implications. Specifically, the study confirms the importance of using motivational campaigns, combining PTP and PTIM approaches. In addition, the results indicate that providing car users with tailored travel solutions (PTP) could have a greater positive effect on behavioral change, than the mass communication approach (PTIM). PTIM was found to be useful for behavior change, but it would be more effective if used mostly as a recruitment tool for Personalized Travel Plans (PTP).