Cognitive mapping is central to spatial behavior and decision making. Thecumulative process of spatial learning, during which cognitive maps develop primarily through wayfinding and travel experience, affects accessibility by determining whether and how destinations are encoded into one's cognitive map. This paper, will examine whether differences in cognitive mapscan be explained, in part, by variations in travel mode. To test the hypothesis, the paper surveyed adults in a low-income Los Angeles neighborhood with relatively low auto use and high transit use. The data show that variations in cognitive mapping and spatial knowledge do indeed vary between individuals and among groups in systematic ways. Some of these differences are related directly to previous travel experience, including experience with travel modes. The paper concludes that variations in spatial knowledge can result in radically different levels of functional accessibility, despite similar locations, demographics, and other factors commonly thought to influence travel behavior. A better understanding of the complexrelationships among spatial cognition and travel can help guide policymakers, planners, and transportation analysts in improving accessibility to employment, services, recreation, and other important destinations.
Abstract