Abstract
One of the most pressing problems in today’s urban transportation environment is the ever-increasing number of private motor vehicles. To tackle this problem, many researchers start looking for factors that lead to travel behavioral changes. While most early studies in Taiwan take a cross-sectional approach and show a somewhat inconsistent result regarding the relationship between car and motorcycle ownership, this study assumes, arguably, that a longitudinal approach is necessary for better understanding of the problem. Based on empirical results of longitudinal analyses, this study finds that: 1) there is a positive association between life stages of honeymooner and crowded nester and the alternative of increasing a motorcycle; 2) the experience of exposure to motorcycle early in life have a positive effect on motorcycle acquirement and motorcycle replacement decision later in life; 3) households already owning motorcycle(s) are more likely to buy a car.
