MPhil in Choice Modelling

University of Leeds

Day to day human mobility is shaped by decisions on activities and consumption. These mobility choices include when, where and how to travel and impact the demand and utilization rate of public (transport) infrastructure. Making appropriate provision for travel demand is a requirement for the efficient functioning of society and a key concern for governments as well as industry. We are part of the university wide Choice Modelling Centre (CMC), which is the largest group of its kind in the world and which has links with many other leading researchers in the field of choice modelling. Our research covers new methodological developments, produces theoretical and behavioural insights, and provides practical solutions to real world problems across numerous thematic areas, including but not limited to transport, health, energy and business/marketing. We develop mathematical models to better understand and explain the drivers of individual activity and travel choices, ranging from long-term choices like residential location to medium-term choices like car ownership and short-term choices such as mode, route and even lane choice while driving on a motorway. Such ‘Choice models’ are used around the world to produce estimates of valuations of transportation services and their components and forecasts of future travel demand. The outputs of choice models are routinely used in cost-benefit analyses of major new infrastructure developments.