Multidimensional Scaling of User Preferences for the Transportation Modes in Seoul.

다차원척도법에 의한 서울주민의 교통수단선호 분석

This study examined user preferences toward transportation modes in Seoul. Two multidimensional scaling models, the ideal point and vector models, were applied to data on mode preferences of 114 adults in the metropolitan area. While both models produced fairly similar results, the vector model performed slightly better than the other in terms of interpretability of the results. The transport attributes elicited are comfort, flexibility, travel cost, travel time, privacy, and safety; among which comfort is salient most. The comfort variable is a multi-faceted attribute in nature. The variations of attribute preferences are most significant between the gender groups as well as worker/nonworker groups. In particular, male workers, female workers and female nonworkers form three distinctive market segments. An unidimensional scaling of the preference data reveals that subway, auto-driver, and subscription bus modes are preferred most, whereas motorcycle and bicycle least. The other modes of express bus, taxt, auto-passenger, bus and walk rank intermediately. An examination of how preference orders vary among modal groups hints that users align their stated attitudes to their choice in order to reduce cognitive dissonance.