Some studies found that 40% of office employees in Bangkok go to work by auto vehicles. However, it has not yet achieved the expectation. They are expected to walk to transit station and use rail services in daily commute. Many residents are attracted to live near transit station. According to recorded data, the number of residential units grew higher from 3,000 to around 48,000 units within 5 years (2004–2009). Second (underground train line: MRT) and third lines (Airport rail line: ARL) started in 20, even though the growth of high-rise residential buildings along transit route is much higher because of transit lines expansion. The first line (sky train line: BTS) began operation in 1999. In mass transit systems in Bangkok nowadays, there are three rail lines operating 60 stations with the total route of 85.6 km. Mixed-income residents in TODs is the main factor proving that the highest percentage of transit riders access transit by placing a range of housing options within walking distance. The more the number of people using mass transit grows, the worse the congestion becomes. This makes transit service more efficient. Low-income households also use rail services during non-peak hours in TOD areas (a dense, walkable, residential, and commercial area built to support and encourage the access to public transit). Then, they tend to use transit more than middle- and high-income groups. Several previous studies found that low-income households are more transit dependent. These perspective policies increase citizen’s house ownership, merge low-income households into one group, stabilize the workforce, and increase rail ridership. Moreover, this land-use planning concepts create the compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use communities surrounding transit systems. The main goal of transit-oriented developments (TODs) is to stimulate active travel and especially transit ridership, and perhaps also to limit urban sprawl. The walking attitudes on convenience, safety, a sense of freedom, healthiness, and environmental friendliness highly affect respondents’ acceptable walking distance and time in TODs. The benefit of walking significantly influences walking acceptance only among middle-income households.

As for the analysis results, the feeling of walking among all respondents significantly influences the walking acceptance. Middle-income households are more likely to walk in shorter distance than lower-income households, but they tend to accept longer walking time than others. Low-income households can accept the longer walking distance but shorter time. For walking acceptance, high-income group accepts distance and time shorter than other incomes. People using motorized mode are mostly from middle- to high-income, households the largest group of respondents. As the current access mode of respondents, walkers are more likely to be low-income households. The analysis was conducted in two stages: factor analysis and structural equation model. In this research, 249 respondents are asked 10 questions on attitudes of walking to station. They are highly expected to walk to transit station and use rail in their daily travel. The study aims to analyze the attitude toward walking to the stations of residents living within 1 km of transit stations, or they are called transit-oriented development (TOD) residents.

Transit station