CTRF 2025: Full Schedule

Welcome to CTRF’s 60th Annual Conference! Enjoy Ottawa

10:30am EDT

Cyclist route choice model: Integrating energy expenditure preferences for enhanced network design

Wednesday May 28, 2025 10:30am - 10:50am EDT

Understanding cyclists' route preferences is crucial for designing equitable and accessible urban cycling infrastructure. While previous research has examined the influence of network, contextual, and individual factors, energy expenditure remains an underexplored but critical determinant. Despite its recognized importance, energy costs are typically inferred rather than directly quantified in utilitarian cycling analyses. This study introduces the marginal rate of substitution between energy and time (MRS_{et}) to measure cyclists' willingness to exert physical effort to save travel time.
Using a Mixed Path-Size Logit (MPSL) model with latent segmentation, this research empirically demonstrates that energy preferences significantly shape route choices. High-MRS cyclists"”more sensitive to exertion"”experience greater disutility from distance and steep grades but prioritize minimizing travel time over explicitly conserving energy. Low-MRS cyclists"”more willing to exert effort"”strongly avoid disruptions such as intersections and high-crash areas, favoring a smoother ride. These findings highlight behavioral heterogeneity in energy sensitivity and its impact on route selection.
Designing infrastructure that accommodates diverse energy preferences"”through flatter, more direct routes, expanded e-bike access, and energy-efficient wayfinding"”can improve cycling inclusivity. Future research should refine energy expenditure quantification and develop integrated models that jointly consider route, speed, and mode choices, advancing sustainable urban mobility solutions.

Speakers

Alexander Bigazzi

Associate Professor, University of British Columbia

Alex Bigazzi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on non-motorized and lightly-motorized travel – in particular, the intersection of physics, physiology, and behaviour for active travellers... Read More →

Diana Sanabria Barboza

Elmira Berjisian

99. Sanabria Barboza Paper CTRF2025 pdf

Wednesday May 28, 2025 10:30am - 10:50am EDT
Desmarais 1130 55 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5

Healthy cities

10:50am EDT

Travel behaviour impacts of British Columbia’s e-bike rebate program

Wednesday May 28, 2025 10:50am - 11:10am EDT

Desmarais 1130

The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure launched an e-bike purchase rebate program in June 2023, with income-conditioned incentives of $350, $1,000, and $1,400. The objective of this study was to determine how rebate recipients' travel behaviour changed following their e-bike purchase, and up to a year later. We recruited 1,069 rebate recipients to participate in a 3-wave panel survey. The study participants answered a range of questions related to their sociodemographic attributes, e-bike purchase decisions, typical travel behavior before and after the purchase, and experience using the e-bike. We find that 12 months after purchase most participants still regularly use their e-bike, with 37% of e-bike trips substituting for auto travel. Average e-bike usage increased by around 50 km/week, while auto usage decreased by half that amount. We also examine the impacts of socio-economic, demographic, and contextual factors on usage of and experience with the purchased e-bikes. The study findings provide insights on the benefits and design of future e-bike incentive programs.

Speakers

Alexander Bigazzi

Associate Professor, University of British Columbia

Polina Polikakhina

University of British Columbia

Amir Hassanpour

100. Polikakhina Bigazzi Hassanour Paper CTRF2025 pdf

Wednesday May 28, 2025 10:50am - 11:10am EDT
Desmarais 1130 55 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5

Healthy cities

11:10am EDT

Longitudinal dynamic analysis of covid-19 on travel behavior in Canada and China

Wednesday May 28, 2025 11:10am - 11:30am EDT

Desmarais 1130

The COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on residents' work and travel around the world. China and Canada, as two typical countries with two social systems, have imposed different restrictions on travel and social interactions in the face of COVID-19. This paper conducted a questionnaire survey on travelers in China and Canada, recording personal travel and social and family attributes. The survey content included life satisfaction, travel satisfaction indicators, sociodemographics, travel patterns before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and social interaction patterns during the pandemic. Latent class analysis was used to analyze travel choice behavior dynamics before, during, and after the pandemic, and to compare the travel choice behaviors of residents in China and Canada. Finally, a comparison was made to explore which factors and how much they contribute to the well-being of residents in different countries. These findings help formulate appropriate travel and social strategies to improve residents' well-being in response to similar public health emergencies such as COVID-19.

Speakers

Bobin Wang

Université Laval

Xun Ji

Polytechnique Montréal

Hamid Hasanzadeh

Laval University

101. Ji Wang Hasanzadeh Waygood Sun Paper CTRF2025 pdf

Wednesday May 28, 2025 11:10am - 11:30am EDT
Desmarais 1130 55 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5

Healthy cities

11:30am EDT

Assessing walking accessibility to metro stations: the case of Montreal, Canada

Wednesday May 28, 2025 11:30am - 11:50am EDT

Desmarais 1130

Cities are facing growing issues related to the effects of GHG emissions, air pollution and congestion. To induce mode shift towards more sustainable transportation modes, planners need to provide highly attractive transit networks. One way to do this is to improve their accessibility.

Enhancing walking accessibility to public transportation starts with something crucial: assessing the current level of walking accessibility. This study introduces a walking accessibility assessment using GIS functions and open-source data. It also proposes new accessibility indicators of the quality of access to transit. The Montreal metro network is used as a case study. We generate walking catchment areas and test indicators of accessibility by studying their geometric properties and by comparing them with ideal ones. We use census data to further develop indicators accounting for the population

This methodology identifies stations with low accessibility and estimates potential accessibility gains. In Montreal, some 406,375 people could benefit from accessibility improvements, representing a 46.5% increase.

Based on the diagnostic, scenarios were developed to address specific barriers such as infrastructure and land-use constraints. These scenarios involve bridging physical barriers to maximize accessibility gains. These measures aim to improve walking access equitably and enhance transit network attractiveness.

Speakers

Mehdi Hamdaoui

Polytechnique Montréal

Catherine Morency

102. Hamdaoui Morency Paper CTRF2025 (1) pdf

Wednesday May 28, 2025 11:30am - 11:50am EDT
Desmarais 1130 55 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5

Healthy cities

CTRF 2025