Modeling Gender-Based Differences in Mode Choice considering Time-Use Pattern: Analysis of Bicycle, Public Transit, and Car Use in Suzhou, China

Activity-travel behavior differs between women and men. Previous researches dealing with gender differences mainly focus on travel in itself rather than the interaction between time-use pattern and travel mode choice. Based on the activity-travel survey data of Suzhou, China, multigroup structural equation modeling is adopted to explore the reason for gender-based differences in mode choice through comparing the interactions among sociodemographics, time-use pattern, and mode choice. The results indicate that gender-based differences do exist in mode choice. Women prefer traveling by bicycle while men prefer traveling by car in Suzhou. And compared to women, men's mode choice is not so easy to be affected by other travel modes. Besides, gender-based differences exist in the magnitude or the sign of the interrelations among socio-demographics, time-use pattern, and mode choice. It is better to explain gender-based differences in mode choice by including time-use pattern endogenously than through socio-demographics alone. Furthermore, the study shows that by examining the direct, indirect, and total effects in the model system simultaneously, we are able to better capture the differences in mode choice across genders and further able to understand the reason for those differences. Finally, some dedicated suggestions are presented for planners and government to ensure a healthy transportation system.