Road Network-based Determinants of Travel Demand

Road network has a key role in defining the urban structure of a city. The question of how travel demand varies with the road network design is particularly important, as it is the slowest urban system to alter. As the network structure prevails for a long duration, and its modification in a short time is rather difficult, it is essential to obtain an optimal network design. This paper examines the effect of the road network on travel demand, in the realm of developing nations, based on the characteristics of Calicut city, Kerala. Various network characteristics including fractal dimension, have been quantified so as to identify their influence on travel. This study, being the first of its kind in India, confirms that the network characteristics influence the number of trips and travel by various modes. The estimation results are expected to shed light on how network design can reduce travel.