Definition – Modal share
can be defined as the share of people using a particular mode of transport (including cycling and walking) within the overall transport usage of an urban area. Modal share can be calculated for passenger and freight (logistics) transport based on different units, such as number of trips, volume, weight, passenger-km or tonne-km. The modal share of different modes of transport is typically displayed as a percentage value for each mode. Modal share can be measured for specific trip types (e.g. journeys to work) or for the total of all journeys taken in a city for a given period of time. A challenge that still needs to be addressed is accurately counting intermodal journeys. Most journeys are simply attributed to the longest portion (e.g. a two km bike ride to the train station followed by a 15 km train journey and a 10-minute walk is often only counted as a train journey).
Relevance to SUMP – Modal share can be utilised as an indicator when a public authority preparing a SUMP is analysing the current mobility situation, developing targets and undertaking monitoring and evaluation.
Source: PEP (online); EEA, 2013;