Encouraging parents to adopt more sustainable commuting modes remains a persistent challenge for transportation planners. A critical yet often overlooked barrier is the impact of "service trips", such as driving children to school, on parental mobility choices. These trips, driven by time constraints and logistical demands, frequently lead to increased car ownership. This, in turn, reinforces car use for commuting and other daily activities, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of car dependency.
Using data from Origin-Destination travel surveys conducted in the Montreal and Quebec regions, this presentation examines the complex relationship between school-related service trips and parental transportation behaviors. It highlights the potential of improving transportation options for children to travel independently to school as a lever to reduce car dependency among parents. The analysis estimates the positive impacts of such changes, including shifts in mode share, reductions in kilometers traveled by car, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the study explores the broader benefits, such as improved health outcomes for children and enhanced family mobility flexibility.
This research underscores the need for integrated planning approaches that address the role of school trips in shaping mobility patterns, paving the way for more sustainable urban transportation systems.
