Travel Behavior of the Lone Rangers: An Application of Attitudinal Structural Equation Modeling to Intercity Transportation Market Segmentation

Travel behavior information is valuable to transportation policymakers, planners, and service providers. While aggregate data are helpful, segmenting a market into smaller groups allows for more targeted planning, promotion, operation, and evaluation. In this study, intercity market segments based on traveler attitudes are identified using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study focuses on rural and small urban areas, using survey data for residents of North Dakota and west central and northwest Minnesota. Attitudes toward travel time, flexibility, and privacy are found to have the strongest explanatory power. The socioeconomic profile of each market segment is identified. Individuals living in the study’s upper Midwest market area are assigned to market segments based on their socioeconomic characteristics to determine market segment size. Mode shares for automobile, air, intercity bus, intercity rail, and van service are estimated for each market segment. Intercity bus and train mode shares are predicted to double in each market segment when travel speeds are increased to those experienced by automobile travelers.

• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=687
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

  Small Urban and Rural Transit Center, North Dakota State University, P.O. Box 6050
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108-6050

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Ripplinger, David
  • Mattson, Jeremy
  • 0000-0002-0826-5834
  • Peterson, Del
  • 0000-0002-2010-5542
• Publication Date: 2011-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 29p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air travel; Attitudes; Automobile travel; Bus transportation; Intercity transportation; Intercity travel; Market segmented groups; Modal split; Rural areas; Small towns; Socioeconomic factors; Structural equation modeling; Travel behavior; Travel time; Vans
• Uncontrolled Terms: Intercity passenger rail
• Geographic Terms: Minnesota; North Dakota
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Highways; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01342973
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 23 2011 4:28PM