Across all of Asia, urban road traffic is dominated by motorcycles. We analyze how urban form influences preferences for motorcycles usage, using a multinomial logistic regression model and data from a recent field study conducted in the metropolitan area of Yogyakarta in Indonesia. We find that urban form explains about 20% of the observed variance in transport mode choice and that population density has a statistically significant positive effect on the likelihood of using a motorcycle for commuting. In addition, we find that the likelihood of choosing a motorcycle over other transport modes is highest for individuals living at intermediate distances from the city center and that in comparison with other transport modes, motorcycle use is most sensitive to travel distance. Our results suggest that a compact urban form, including a high population density and short commuting distances, may help in reducing the (growth of) motorcycle use in urban areas. this presentation is based on a forthcoming article in the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies (BIES).

Speaker: Sotya Fevriera (Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana)