PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

In times of increasing travel demand, urban transport systems are under continuous stress. Knowledge of the impact of weather on any given day needs to be obtained for efficient operation of the system. Although it is expected that weather-related impacts will not dominate travel demand (e.g., work trips cannot be easily omitted), trips may be delayed or different modes may be chosen. It is well known that transport systems that operate close to capacity react highly nonlinearly to additional demand. Thus, changes in weather might lead to totally different settings for the management of the transport systems. This paper provides evidence of the influence of weather on travel demand for the greater Vienna, Austria, region. Long-term household mobility surveys were used for a descriptive analysis of the influence of weather on travel behavior. Statistical modeling of smaller mobility surveys allowed extrapolation to new situations, as well as an analysis of the joint influence of several variables. Significant evidence was provided that weather had a strong influence on the mobility choices of a large part of the population. The results emphasized that the weather impact depends heavily on the mode and purpose of the trip and the characteristics of the traveler. The results of the study can be used at the aggregate level to predict the impact of weather on traffic demand. This information is important for the management of transport system supply and demand, for ensuring the efficiency of urban transportation systems.