AET Transport and Mobility Forum

Transport for London (TfL) commissioned AECOM to update and enhance its Transport Classification of Londoners (TCoL), a traveller segmentation system that categorised London residents according to their travel behaviours, attitudes towards different transport modes, and willingness to change travel habits. The project aimed to provide TfL with a more robust evidence base for transport policy development, targeted interventions, and future strategic modelling.
 
The study was founded on a representative online survey of more than 5,000 Londoners across all 32 boroughs. Building on the 2015 TCoL survey and aligned with the London Travel Demand Survey (LTDS), the questionnaire collected detailed information on travel behaviour, mode choice, travel attitudes, barriers to mode switching, journey purposes, demographic characteristics, and environmental perspectives. Particular attention was given to understanding both existing travel patterns and the potential for behavioural change.
 
Survey data were combined with a range of complementary datasets, including the 2021 Census, TfL’s Public Transport Accessibility Levels (PTAL), LTDS data, and the London Output Area Classification (LOAC). Using advanced statistical clustering techniques, particularly k-means clustering, the analysis identified distinct traveller segments based on behavioural, attitudinal, demographic, and spatial characteristics. The methodology incorporated emerging travel behaviours such as home working and participation in online education, reflecting post-pandemic travel trends.
 
The segmentation development process was iterative and included ongoing engagement with TfL stakeholders to ensure that outputs remained policy-relevant and practically useful. Results were validated through comparisons with accessibility indicators, travel behaviour datasets, and the previous TCoL segmentation to assess consistency and identify changing trends.
 
TfL has started to use the segmentation to explore the potential for mode shift from car with a particular focus on outer London. TfL welcomes input from attendees on ideas for policies and interventions that can be tested against the different segments’ likely responses to achieve the most effective outcomes.

This webinar will be chaired by Suheyla Semerci (TMF Working Group) and moderated by Claire Cheriyan (Transport for London).

The AET Transport and Mobility Forum webinars are FREE to attend and are hosted on the Zoom platform.