Toward equity in network design: understanding investment preferences

• The preferences of Australians in the allocation of resources are investigated. • An ICLV model is developed to capture the preferences. • The effects of ethical background and psychological factors are examined. • Policy implications for investment decisions are discussed. A fair distribution of transport benefits has long been a goal of transport agencies and planners seeking to design networks that advance social inclusion and equity. This paper investigates how ethical orientations shape citizens’ preferences for equity in transport investment. Drawing on a Stated Choice experiment with 2,050 Australian residents, an Integrated Choice and Latent Variable (ICLV) model is developed to capture how these latent ethical constructs influence preferences for key transport investment attributes, including distribution of travel costs, safety, environmental sustainability, and fairness across population groups. The findings reveal that respondents’ moral and empathetic orientations significantly affect their evaluation of equity impacts and that socio-demographic attributes further moderate these relationships. The study provides policy insights for reducing regional and socio-economic disparities in mobility outcomes and promoting more inclusive transport investment decisions, contributing to the design of transport systems that are both efficient and grounded in social justice.