Is Travel Based Residential Self-Selection a Significant Influence in Modal Choice and Household Location Decisions

This paper seeks to examine if residential self-selection can be observed in the population of the Greater Dublin Area and to examine how travel choices and household location decisions interact. The research is based on data collected through the means of a postal survey issued in April 2014. The paper outlines the differences observed in travel behaviour across contrasting land-use areas; with the findings showing higher use of sustainable modes for residents of denser, mixed-use urban areas with greater public transport options. The link between residency in such areas and particular respondent characteristics is also highlighted. It was found that there was with a tendency for residents of these areas to be younger renters, without families, havehave lower car ownership and shorter occupancies. The paper describes how for a significant proportion of the survey respondents, modal choices were made prior to actual residency. However, the paper also describes that while transport is an important factor in choosing where to live, it is not the primary factor for many all residents: whether or not it is the primary factor is dependent on the characteristics of the respondent involved. The key conclusion is that residential self-selection does not occur to such an extent that it is more important than land-use factors in determining modal-split characteristics. However, it remains a significant contributory factor for certain populations when sustainable modes are considered: younger people, renters, without cars or children. The paper outlines implications for policy, which highlight the importance of taking self-selection tendencies into account when preparing land-use-transport policies to reduce car dependency.