Determinants and spatial variability of after-school travel by teenagers

► Provides a Japanese example of after-school trips by teenagers. ► Explains differences in return-trip patterns of downtown and suburban high schools. ► Older teenagers from downtown schools are more likely to make intermediate trips. ► Planners could incorporate results of this research in local perspectives. This research work targeted teenagers to investigate after-school travel patterns and factors affecting their modal choice characteristics in Okinawa, Japan, where teenagers are not allowed to drive. The analysis is based on the cross-sectional data collected for discrete choice modeling of students’ travel in the prefecture. In this study, high school students’ trips from school to home have been analysed using a multinomial logit model. This has revealed the impact of individual, modal, and spatial variables on the mode choice decisions and return trip patterns. A comparative analysis made of downtown and suburb schools exposed differences in travel patterns induced by spatial factors and some existing constraints in modal choice options.