Abstract
The rapid development of economics requires highly efficient and environment-friendly urban transportation systems. Such requirement presents challenges in sustainable urban transportation. The analysis and understanding of transportation-related behaviors provide one approach to dealing with complicated transportation activities. In this study, the management of traffic systems is divided into four levels with a structural and systematic perspective. Then, several special cases from the perspective of behavior, including purchasing behaviors toward new energy vehicles, choice behaviors toward green travel, and behavioral reactions toward transportation demand management policies, are investigated. Several management suggestions are proposed for transportation authorities to improve sustainable traffic management.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bergstad C J, Gamble A, Hagman O, Polk M, Garling T, Olsson L E (2011). Affective-symbolic and instrumental-independence psychological motives mediating effects of socio-demographic variables on daily car use. Journal of Transport Geography, 19(1): 33–38
Biresselioglu M E, Demirbag Kaplan M, Yilmaz B K (2018). Electric mobility in Europe: A comprehensive review of motivators and barriers in decision making processes. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 109: 1–13
Bjerkan K Y, Norbech T E, Nordtomme M E (2016). Incentives for promoting Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) adoption in Norway. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 43: 169–180
Bonges III H A, Lusk A C (2016). Addressing electric vehicle (EV) sales and range anxiety through parking layout, policy and regulation. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 83: 63–73
Botetzagias I, Dima A, Malesios C (2015). Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior in the context of recycling: The role of moral norms and of demographic predictors. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 95: 58–67
Cantillo V, Amaya J D, Ortúzar J (2010). Thresholds and indifference in stated choice surveys. Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 44(6): 753–763
Carley S M, Krause RW, Lane B D, Graham J (2013). Intent to purchase a plug-in electric vehicle: A survey of early impressions in large US cites. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 18: 39–45
Chen H, Long R, Niu W, Feng Q, Yang R (2014). How does individual low-carbon consumption behavior occur?—An analysis based on attitude process. Applied Energy, 116: 376–386
Choi H, Jang J, Kandampully J (2015). Application of the extended VBN theory to understand consumers’ decisions about green hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 51: 87–95
Chowdhury S, Dey S, Tripathi S, Beig G, Mishra A, Sharma S (2017). “Traffic intervention” policy fails to mitigate air pollution in megacity Delhi. Environmental Science & Policy, 74: 8–13
Clarka C F, Kotchenb M J, Moorea M R (2003). Internal and external influences on pro-environmental behavior: Participation in a green electricity program. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 23(3): 237–246
Coffman M, Bernstein P, Wee S (2016). Electric vehicles revisited: A review of factors that affect adoption. Transport Reviews, 37(1): 79–93
Cohen M, Lobel R, Perakis G (2016). The impact of demand uncertainty on consumer subsidies for green technology adoption. Management Science, 62(5): 1235–1258
Cristea M, Paran F, Delhomme P (2013). Extending the theory of planned behavior: The role of behavioral options and additional factors in predicting speed behavior. Transportation Research Part F: Psychology and Behaviour, 21: 122–132
Dacko S, Spalteholz C (2014). Upgrading the city: Enabling intermodal travel behaviour. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 89: 222–235
de Groot J I M, Steg L (2010). Relationships between value orientations, self-determined motivational types and pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(4): 368–378
Diamond D (2009). The impact of government incentives for hybrid-electric vehicles: Evidence from US states. Energy Policy, 37(3): 972–983
Dittmar H (1992). The Social Psychology of Material Possessions: To Have is To Be. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf
Donald I, Cooper S, Conchie S (2014). An extended theory of planned behaviour model of the psychological factors affecting commuters’ transport mode use. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 40: 39–48
Du H, Chen Z, Zhang Z, Southworth F (2020). The rebound effect on energy efficiency improvements in China’s transportation sector: A CGE analysis. Journal of Management Science & Engineering, 5(4): 249–263
Du H, Liu D, Sovacool B K, Wang Y, Ma S, Li R Y M (2018). Who buys New Energy Vehicles in China? Assessing social-psychological predictors of purchasing awareness, intention, and policy. Transportation Research Part F: Psychology and Behaviour, 58: 56–69
Eskeland G S, Feyzioglu T (1997). Rationing can backfire: The “day without a car” in Mexico City. The World Bank Economic Review, 11(3): 383–408
Gadenne D, Sharma B, Kerr D, Smith T (2011). The influence of consumers’ environmental beliefs and attitudes on energy saving behaviours. Energy Policy, 39(12): 7684–7694
Gallego F, Montero J, Salas C (2013). The effect of transport policies on car use: A bundling model with applications. Energy Economics, 40 (Supplement 1): S85–S97
Gärling T, Fujii S, Gärling A, Jakobsson C (2003). Moderating effects of social value orientation on determinants of proenvironment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 23(1): 1–9
Gärling T, Jakobsson C, Loukopoulos P, Fujii S (2008). Acceptability of road pricing. In: Verhoef E, Bliemer M C J, Steg L, van Wee B, eds. Pricing in Road Transport: A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective, Chapter 10. Edward Elgar Publishing
Geng J, Long R, Hong C, Li Q (2018). Urban residents’ response to and evaluation of low-carbon travel policies: Evidence from a survey of five eastern cities in China. Journal of Environmental Management, 217: 47–55
Goddard H C (1997). Optimal restrictions on vehicle use for urban sustainability for Mexico City. International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 7(3): 357–374
Hafner R, Walker I, Verplanken B (2017). Image, not environmentalism: A qualitative exploration of factors influencing vehicle purchasing decisions. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 97: 89–105
Hu X, Moura S, Murgovski N, Egardt B, Cao D (2016). Integrated optimization of battery sizing, charging, and power management in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, 24(3): 1036–1043
Hu X, Murgovski N, Johannesson L, Egardt B (2015). Optimal dimensioning and power management of a fuel cell/battery hybrid bus via convex programming. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 20(1): 457–468
Jia N, Li L, Ling S, Ma S, Yao W (2018). Influence of attitudinal and low-carbon factors on behavioral intention of commuting mode choice—A cross-city study in China. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 111: 108–118
Jia N, Zhang Y, He Z, Li G (2017). Commuters’ acceptance of and behavior reactions to license plate restriction policy: A case study of Tianjin, China. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 52(Part B): 428–440
Jiang P, Chen Y, Xu B, Dong W, Kennedy E (2013). Building low carbon communities in China: The role of individual’s behaviour change and engagement. Energy Policy, 60: 611–620
Jraiw K (1991). Travel demand management: Options and implementation. The Road to Knowledge. Washington, DC, NW: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Kaiser F, Scheuthle H (2003). Two challenges to a moral extension of the theory of planned behavior: Moral norms and just world beliefs in conservationism. Personality and Individual Differences, 35(5): 1033–1048
Krupa J, Rizzo D M, Eppstein M J, Brad Lanute D, Gaalema D E, Lakkaraju K, Warrender C E (2014). Analysis of a consumer survey on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 64(2): 14–31
Lane B, Potter S (2007). The adoption of cleaner vehicles in the UK: Exploring the consumer attitude-action gap. Journal of Cleaner Production, 15(11–12): 1085–1092
Li R, Guo M (2016). Effects of odd-even traffic restriction on travel speed and traffic volume: Evidence from Beijing Olympic Games. Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, 3(1): 71–81
Lind H, Nordfjærn T, Jørgensen S, Rundmo T (2015). The value-belief-norm theory, personal norms and sustainable travel mode choice in urban areas. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 44: 119–125
Ling S, Jia N, Ma S, Lan Y, Hu W (2019). An incentive mechanism design for bus subsidy based on the route service level. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 119: 271–283
Liobikienė G, Mandravickaitė J, Bernatonienė J (2016). Theory of planned behavior approach to understand the green purchasing behavior in the EU: A cross-cultural study. Ecological Economics, 125: 38–46
Liu D, Du H, Southworth F, Ma S (2017). The influence of socialpsychological factors on the intention to choose low-carbon travel modes in Tianjin, China. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 105: 42–53
Lois D, López-Sáez M (2009). The relationship between instrumental, symbolic and affective factors as predictors of car use: A structural equation modeling approach. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 43(9–10): 790–799
Lo S H, van Breukelen G J P, Peters G J Y, Kok G (2016). Commuting travel mode choice among office workers: Comparing an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior model between regions and organizational sectors. Travel Behaviour & Society, 4: 1–10
Marsden G, Docherty I (2013). Insights on disruptions as opportunities for transport policy change. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 51(3): 46–55
Marsden G, Mullen C, Bache I, Bartle I, Flinders M (2014). Carbon reduction and travel behaviour: Discourses, disputes and contradictions in governance. Transport Policy, 35: 71–78
Martinsson J, Lundqvist L, Sundström A (2011). Energy saving in Swedish households. The (relative) importance of environmental attitudes. Energy Policy, 39(9): 5182–5191
Mersky A, Sprei F, Samaras C, Qian Z (2016). Effectiveness of incentives on electric vehicle adoption in Norway. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 46: 56–68
Mohan D, Tiwari G, Goel R, Lahkar P (2017). Evaluation of Odd-Even Day traffic restriction experiments in Delhi, India. Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2627(1): 9–16
Noppers E H, Keizer K, Bolderdijk J W, Steg L (2014). The adoption of sustainable innovations: Driven by symbolic and environmental motives. Global Environmental Change, 25: 52–62
Noppers E H, Keizer K, Bockarjova M, Steg L (2015). The adoption of sustainable innovations: The role of instrumental, environmental, and symbolic attributes for earlier and later adopters. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 44: 74–84
Rezvani Z, Jansson J, Bodin J (2015). Advances in consumer electric vehicle adoption research: A review and research agenda. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 34: 122–136
Rienstra S, Rietveld P, Verhoef E (1999). The social support for policy measures in passenger transport: A statistical analysis for the Netherlands. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 4(3): 181–200
Schade J, Schlag B (2000). Acceptability of Urban Transport Pricing. Helsinki: VATT Institute for Economic Research
She Z, Sun Q, Ma J, Xie B (2017). What are the barriers to widespread adoption of battery electric vehicles? A survey of public perception in Tianjin, China. Transport Policy, 56: 29–40
Steg L, Gifford R (2005). Sustainable transportation and quality of life. Journal of Transport Geography, 13(1): 59–69
Steg L, Vlek C (2009). Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour: An integrative review and research agenda. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29(3): 309–317
Steg L, Vlek C, Slotegraaf G (2001). Instrumental-reasoned and symbolic-affective motives for using a motor car. Transportation Research Part F: Psychology and Behaviour, 4(3): 151–169
Van H T, Choocharukul K, Fujii S (2014). The effect of attitudes toward cars and public transportation on behavioral intention in commuting mode choice—A comparison across six Asian countries. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 69: 36–44
Viard B, Fu S (2015). The effect of Beijing’s driving restrictions on pollution and economic activity. Journal of Public Economics, 125: 98–115
Wang G, Qi H, Xu H, Ryu S (2020). A mixed behaviour equilibrium model with mode choice and its application to the endogenous demand of automated vehicles. Journal of Management Science & Engineering, 5(4): 227–248
Wang L, Xu J, Qin P (2014). Will a driving restriction policy reduce car trips?—The case study of Beijing, China. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 67(1): 279–290
Xu S, Liu T, Jia N, Wang P, Liu P, Ma S (2020). The effects of transportation system improvements on urban performances with heterogeneous residents. Journal of Management Science & Engineering, 5(4): 287–302
Yang Y, Tian Q, Wang Y (2020). Who is more likely to get a ride and where is easier to be picked up in ride-sharing mode? Journal of Management Science & Engineering, 5(4): 264–286
Zhang D, Tu Y (2021). Green building, pro-environmental behavior and well-being: Evidence from Singapore. Cities, 108: 102980
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The research is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 71431005 and 71701146) and Tianjin Social Science Planning Project (Grant No. TJGL15-026).
Rights and permissions
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.
The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
About this article
Cite this article
Ling, S., Ma, S. & Jia, N. Sustainable urban transportation development in China: A behavioral perspective. Front. Eng. Manag. 9, 16–30 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-021-0162-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-021-0162-4