According to [1] , modal choice refers to the mode chosen by travelers. It is a decision-making process involving choice between different transport alternatives, which is a result of a combination of several factors among which are individual socio-demographic factors, spatial characteristics and socio-psychological factors. [2] stated that Modal choice is a function of several things including traveler’s characteristics such as age, income, gender, literacy, household size and travel mode characteristics such as travel cost, travel time, convenience, safety and security, as well as the built environment characteristics among others.

Mobility, according to [3] , is essential for accessing basic services, such as education, healthcare, and social networks. This ability is particularly important for developing countries where mobility remains limited and the majority of their population depends on walking or using public transport in their daily lives.

[4] stated that in recent decades, much effort toward understanding gender differences in mobility patterns has been demonstrated both in theory and practice. Investigating relationships between changes in need due to demographic and socio-economic changes and spatio-temporal constraints proposed by [5] , was one of the most interesting aspects of identifying women’s mode choice behavior that has been researched in the last decade. [6] stated that transportation is one of the vital sectors supporting people’s activities because without any movement, it is impossible for humans to fulfill their needs. Commonly many activities are done with a variety of purposes, which are working activities, education activity, recreation activities, and social activities. People choose and determine which travel mode is most suitable for them to fulfill these needs.

Understanding gender differences in modal choice for sustainable transportation planning is vital and relevant for efficient transport management. [7] noted that commuting mode choices play a significant role in sufficient transportation and have a long-term impact on traffic, emissions, and delays. According to [8] , gender studies on modal choices are particularly important in understanding modal choices of family members. Women tend to have specific commute reasons related to household responsibilities. [9] presented an extensive overview of the research on gender and mobility that has been conducted since the early 70s and that spans several disciplines, ranging from social sciences to geography, to environmental studies. [10] posited that generally, factors influencing mode choice may be classified into two groups: internal and external factors. Internal factors include socio-economic and demographic factors, habits and perceived level of control, while external factors consist of travelling time and the cost of the journey.

Authors such as [11] - [13] noted that transport attributes, such as travel cost and trip distance, external factors such as urban form and land use, and socio-demographic characteristics are all critical determinants of transport mode choice. [14] stated that travel and transportation options have been continually evolving, and with every technological evolution, different modes of transport have been introduced with different consequences. Despite the benefits of transportation to accessing work, education or other community and social activities, there are also negative consequences, including crash-related deaths and serious injuries, traffic congestion, air pollution, and noise.

[15] - [17] stated that daily mobility in a population is highly gendered. In the same vein, [15] [18] [19] posited that the average travel behavior of women differs from men in locations visited, trip purpose, trip distance, and mode of transport. According to [20] [21] , there are gender norms, cultural barriers, and fear of sexual harassment and assault by men that deter women from using certain modes of transport or travel at certain times of the day. [4] observed that in recent decades, much effort has been put into understanding gender differences in mobility patterns, both in theory and practice.

[22] posited that the notion of “travel choice” is central to the modeling processes in mainstream transport planning. These models are based on: “…the paradigm of rational man”, underpinned by “neoclassical economic concepts, focusing upon the representation of people as individual rational choice makers, interacting together to form a state of equilibrium” and acting “…to maximize her utilities …applied to traveler behavior to stimulate choices of destination, mode, route and time.” [23]

[24] posited that gender research on transport has made a particularly interesting contribution to such an understanding of urban development:

“Gender differences in transport contributed to a larger theoretical project in feminist geography: the critique of urban land use structure in contemporary capitalism, of the spatial separation of production and reproduction, and of the cultural dichotomy of public and private space”.

According to [25] , gender based differences in travel behavior have been extensively investigated in developed countries, particularly the West. Authors such as: [3] [26] [27] stated that in case of developed countries, gender difference in travel behavior is a well-known fact. However, for developing countries, this issue has received much less attention, where there is a possibility that the difference might be wider and even unique in some aspects. According to [28] - [30] , researchers have paid much attention to gender-based travel patterns and found that women are more likely to adopt complex commute and non-work chains than men. The authors studied the gender differences in commute trips. In terms of travel mode, previous researchers such as [31] have discovered a number of differences between men and women. For example, distinct gender differences exist in the purpose of bicycle trips, desired amenities, and safety perceptions. Studies by [32] - [35] posited that besides the different reasons for traveling, studies consulted have found a different modal choice by gender, where going on foot and by public transport is more usual for women.

[30] expressed that gender differences become more complex and need special attention. Women’s contribution to travel demand is anticipated to grow because of the increase in their labor participation rate caused by their increased social status. Besides, women’s specific physical and psychological characteristics make women’s behavior differ from men’s to some extent. These studies revealed that there is a dearth of research on gender differences and modal choice in Nigeria, and the need to understand gender differences in modal choice among commuters in coastal communities of Southern Nigeria for effective transportation planning and sustainable development initiatives. The following hypotheses were postulated for this study:

(1) The hypothesis that gender modal preference is not influenced by the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents in Yenagoa metropolis.

(2) The hypothesis that there is no significant difference in the gender modal preference of respondents in Yenagoa metropolis.

Aside from this introductory section, the theoretical framework is presented in Section 2. The research methodology is presented in Section 3. The findings and results of tested hypotheses are presented in Section 4, while Section 5 concludes.

The theoretical background of this study is the Four Step Model of Transport Planning and Modal Choice. A ubiquitous framework for determining transportation forecasts, highway planning and multimodal trips (see Figure 1 ).

Traditionally transportation planning divides travel behavior into four parts which represent basic elements in transportation planning based on the Four-Step Model as follows:

(1) Trip Generation is the first part of the model which deals with the number of trips undertaken by people using public or private transport within a given period of time.

(2) Trip Distribution which is the second in the model is concerned with the destination of the travelers for every trip undertaken. According to [37] , there are a variety of reasons why one location is preferred over another. In general, traffic distribution is a function of population, socioeconomic characteristics, transportation facility type and extent, and land use pattern.

(3) Modal Choice (Modal Split), the third component of the model deals with the choice of transportation mode or alternative during a given trip. The third component of the model “modal choice” is the crux of this study.

(4) Route Choice, the fourth component of the model is concerned with the route that is utilized to arrive at the traveler’s destination [38] . At least four factors influence people’s decision to take one path over another. The factors are: the duration of travel, travel expenses, convenience and service level and travel time and prices which are the most commonly used considerations.

A survey research design involving a multi-stage sampling technique of three stages was adopted in this study. In the first stage, Yenagoa metropolis was purposively selected due to gender preference for certain modes of transportation. In the second stage, all the 21 communities that make up Yenagoa metropolis were involved in this study. In the third stage, using convenient sampling, four hundred copies of structured questionnaires were randomly administered to users of public transport in parks within each selected community that make up the metropolis of Yenagoa.

This study examined gender differences in modal choice among residents of the Yenagoa metropolis. According to [8] , gender studies on modal choices are particularly important in understanding the modal choices of family members. An understanding of gender differences in modal choice for sustainable transport planning is vital and relevant for efficient transport management. [7] observed that commuting mode choices play a significant role in efficient transportation and have a long-term impact on traffic, emissions, and delays. The results of logistic regression on gender modal preference revealed that gender modal preference is influenced by mode of transportation, safety considerations, ownership of transport and distance from places of origin to destination (work, school, market, etc.), while the differences in gender modal preference tested using Chi-square revealed that there is no significant difference in gender modal choice in Yenagoa metropolis at 0.05 level.