Study of the Public Acceptance of Light Rail Transit as a Public Transportation Option for Residents and Its Implications for the Environment (Case Study: Greater Bandung, Indonesia)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31004/joecy.v6i2.14404Keywords:
Light Rail Transit; Public Acceptance; Willingness to Pay; Mode Choice; Sustainable Urban Mobility; Environmental ImpactAbstract
Rapid urbanization and growing private vehicle dependence in the Greater Bandung Metropolitan Area have intensified traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental degradation, prompting the proposal of a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system as a sustainable urban mobility solution. This study examines public acceptance, behavioral intention, willingness to pay (WTP), comparative travel performance, and potential environmental impacts of the proposed LRT. A quantitative approach was employed using stated preference surveys from 200 respondents, analyzed through Multinomial Logit (MNL) modeling and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The MNL results indicate that travel time (β = −0.039, p < 0.01) and travel cost (β = −0.000034, p < 0.01) are the most influential determinants of mode choice, while electric-based operation increases the probability of choosing LRT by approximately 13%. Environmental attributes, including lower emissions per passenger (β = −0.0075, p < 0.05) and reduced noise levels (β = 0.0024, p < 0.05), significantly enhance LRT attractiveness. SEM findings show that performance expectancy, perceived safety, and social influence significantly affect behavioral intention, explaining 63% of its variance. The WTP analysis reveals that 58% of respondents are willing to pay IDR 5,000–7,000, while 27% are willing to pay IDR 7,000–10,000 for improved travel time and reliability. Scenario-based estimates indicate that a 20–30% modal shift to LRT could reduce corridor-level CO₂ emissions by 18–25%. These results provide empirical evidence to support data-driven LRT planning and policy formulation aimed at achieving sustainable urban transportation in Greater Bandung.
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