Incentivizing Active & Shared Transportation Pilot Program

The Incentivizing Active and Shared Travel Pilot Program studied how people choose to get around. It looked at travel behavior and the tradeoffs people consider when choosing to drive alone, or travel by a method that is more environmentally friendly.

Plan Bay Area 2050 is the region’s long-range plan for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. MTC’s Climate Initiatives Program, identified as part of Plan Bay Area 2050, invests in strategies that reduce GHG emissions. Strategies include encouraging travelers to use active and shared transportation options (including walking, cycling, taking transit and car sharing) rather than driving alone.

This pilot focused on how to use behavioral economics and experimentation to achieve the goals laid out in Plan Bay Area 2050. Participants were encouraged to use active and shared mobility options for any type of regular trip, including shopping, medical/dental appointments and going to the gym or work.

Study Takeaways

The study ran for nine months, beginning in May 2021.

The pilot identified drivers who are open to behavior change (“nudgeable drivers”) and looked at ways to change travel behavior to more active and shared travel options.

The existence of these “nudgeable drivers” – and their identifiable personas and travel patterns – offer valuable insights on how to develop and administer a future travel behavior change campaign.

The study also recognized that some drivers are not a good fit for wide-scale behavior change campaigns. These travelers are more likely to respond to a personalized campaign that considers travel modes that fit with their lifestyle.