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THE STUDENT COMMUTING SURVEY - SPRING 2007
During the first phase of the Neighborhood Initiative, we attempted to understand the university in its city – its economic impact, its intellectual and cultural relations, and other general questions about the effect of AUB on its surroundings.
We began by looking at two possible impacts AUB students have on the neighborhood: how and where they spend their money, and how they get to the university on a daily basis (and whether they add to neighborhood congestion by parking cars nearby).
During spring semester 2007, we conducted a detailed investigation into student spending patterns. The findings of the Student Spending Survey may be found in a separate report on the Neighborhood Initiative website.
To ascertain commuting patterns, and with the help of Dr. Moueen Salameh AUB Registrar, we conducted a second survey in spring 2007. All AUB students were asked two questions on-line: where they were living during term time, and how they commute to AUB, if living off campus.
Given how problematic addresses are in Beirut, we employed an experimental survey format: students simply identified where they live by referring to a map and then selecting their zone of residence from a drop-down menu. Students were also asked how they usually get to AUB, selecting from the following options: walking; public transportation (bus or service); private taxi; family member drops me off; in other student’s car; my car; or other.
A full 74 per cent of AUB students enrolled during spring semester 2007 responded to the survey, and the profile of respondents matches the student body at large. It is possible therefore to generalize these findings with confidence to the AUB student body as a whole.
The following table and maps summarize the commuting patterns of the 90 per cent of student respondents who live off campus (in municipal Beirut, suburban Beirut and beyond).
Two of the most striking findings:
- One third of AUB students drive their own car to university. They park on the Corniche, or in neighborhood streets and car parks.
- The mode of commuting appears to vary by where students live, with students from central and southern districts more likely to take public transport than others.
Laila Houri analyzed our survey data, and Hani Al-Naghi produced the maps. AUB’s Transport Research Unit led by Professor Isam Kaysi is currently analyzing the findings in greater depth and will be publishing more results soon.
Cynthia Myntti
AUB Neighborhood Initiative
cmyntti@aub.edu.lb | |
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