Understanding the attitudes of travelers towards incentive-based travel demand management strategies in Suzhou, China

Incentive-Based Travel Demand Management (IBTDM) strategies utilize monetary incentives to alleviate congestion by encouraging travelers to 1) alter travel routes, 2) shift departure times, 3) shift travel modes, and 4) eliminate trips. In recent years, plenty of IBTDM pilots have been successfully implemented. Since the implementation of IBTDM strategies is subject to incentive budgets and penetration rates, IBTDM administrations should determine how to wisely allocate budgets and how to detect potential participants. Therefore, the primary goal of this study is to discern the relationship between the travelers' socio-demographic characteristics and their acceptability of various incentive strategies. To achieve this goal, we crafted a questionnaire based on Gaode Map's implementation experience of IBTDM strategies in Beijing, China. This stated-preference survey was conducted in Suzhou, China, through Gaode Map, with 1,054 potential IBTDM participants participating. The survey results reveal predominantly positive attitudes among travelers toward IBTDM strategies. Notably, travelers exhibit greater receptivity to strategies aimed at shifting travel modes compared to those aimed at shifting departure times. Besides, travelers' acceptability of IBTDM strategies is significantly influenced by factors such as their preference for public transportation, OD, gender, income, education, and the number of private vehicles. It could be inferred that targeting female college students may be particularly effective, given their high acceptability of IBTDM. These insights offer guidance to administrators for designing targeted strategies and enhancing penetration among the preferred demographic groups in order to maximize the utility of incentive budgets.