Unraveling Influence of Psychological Heterogeneity on Intercity Travelers’ Last-Mile Mode Choice Based on Mixture Regression Modeling

Transportation hubs are significant nodes for intercity travel and urban connection transport. They provide last-mile connection services and are essential in dispersing arriving passengers. Understanding the differences in travelers’ psychological demands and mode choices can assist in improving the provision of successive transport services. This study tested the psychological heterogeneity of arriving travelers to better understand their successive modes of preferences and needs with different psychological traits. A survey was conducted considering the perceived importance and satisfaction with service for connection modes. Subsequently, a mixture regression model was established to reveal travelers’ differences and analyze their preferences and significant factors for mode choice. Three types of passengers were identified: high satisfaction–low perceived importance (HS–LPI), eclectic, and low satisfaction–high perceived importance (LS–HPI) groups. Public transportation is the preferred choice of the HS–LPI group, whereas nonpublic transportation modes are more popular with the LS–HPI group, and comfort is pivotal to both types of travelers. Eclectic travelers express greater concern about travel time than the other groups. Interestingly, LS–HPI travelers focus on more than the comfort of the travel mode; they also prioritize the number of transfers involved. Additionally, scenario conditions and individual factors have unique effects on travelers’ preferences.