Modeling Freight Mode Choice in Greece

AbstractThe main purpose of this paper is to present the results of a comprehensive research study that took place in Greece in order to investigate the process and the criteria for freight modal choice behavior. It involved a large scale survey among various “actors” in the freight transport scene in Greece, and a full scale analysis of the results and outcomes. The objective was to reveal the mechanisms and the factors that influence freight transport mode choice and to produce mathematical models relating the users’ perception of the system with the various criteria and parameters that the statistical analysis, of the survey results, revealed as relevant.The present paper presents the modeling part of the above research work. Firstly, an analysis of relationships between the various attributes with the more “conventional” linear regression analysis is described. This analysis is presented in a summary form starting with the tests of linearity performed on the various parameters, and then proceeds with the presentation of the actual (linear) models developed.In the second part of the paper, a more comprehensive disaggregate logit analysis is presented. The purpose of this analysis is to replicate more closely the observed “individual user” behavior by use of appropriate explicatory variables from data collected in the survey. The resulting disaggregate models are tested for representativeness and accuracy and the final outcomes are presented. In all the above analyses the variables used are ratings and not absolute numbers.The study is quite unique for Greece and presents overall results and findings that can be utilized in many ways, from stimulating further research to supporting the adoption of effective policy