Willingness to Pay for Active Mobility Infrastructure in a Thai University: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of User Preferences and Policy Implications

Abstract

This research examines road users’ willingness to pay for enhanced active mobility infrastructure at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), a suburban university campus in Bangkok, Thailand. The study addresses the need for sustainable transportation solutions in middle-income urban environments by analyzing factors that influence walking and cycling adoption among university community members. The research employed a comprehensive mixed-methods framework combining qualitative SWOT analysis, a stated preference survey of 400 participants, and regularized logistic regression modeling with cross-validation. The analysis revealed that specific infrastructure improvements significantly increase the likelihood of active mobility adoption. Rest areas demonstrated the strongest positive association (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.08–4.27, p = 0.029), followed by CCTV security systems (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 0.98–3.65, p = 0.047), and improved public transport connectivity (OR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.42–5.68, p = 0.003). Demographic analysis uncovered notable resistance patterns, with male participants (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.26–0.89, p = 0.020) and higher-income individuals showing reduced willingness to transition from motorized transportation. Using the Contingent Valuation Method with proper bias mitigation strategies, the study quantified potential behavioral changes, projecting a 12–18 min daily increase in active mobility engagement. This enhancement would generate measurable health benefits valued at 2840–4260 THB per person annually using WHO-HEAT methodology. The research contributes valuable insights to the limited body of active mobility literature from Southeast Asian suburban contexts, providing a replicable framework for similar investigations.