Build for comfort, not just speed: valuing service quality impacts in transportation planning
Travelers tend to place a high value on qualitative factors such as convenience, comfort, security and prestige. However, conventional transport planning practices tend to focus on quantitative impacts and undervalue qualitative impacts. This paper describes ways to evaluate qualitative impacts. Improved travel convenience and comfort tend to reduce unit travel time costs and so are equivalent in value to increased travel speed. Improved analysis of qualitative factors can expand the range of impacts and options considered in transport evaluation, leading to better planning decisions. It is particularly important for efforts to encourage use of alternative modes such as walking, cycling and public transit.
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Authors:
- Litman, T
- Publication Date: 2007-10
Language
- English
Media Info
- Pagination: 16p
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Accessibility; Bicycling; Comfort; Economic analysis; Economics; Level of service; Public transit; Transportation planning; Travel time; Walking
- Uncontrolled Terms: Planning and Environment
- ATRI Terms: Accessibility; Comfort; Cycling; Economic analysis; Public transport; Transport economics; Transport performance; Transport planning; Travel time; Walking
- Subject Areas: Economics; Public Transportation;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01387306
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: ARRB
- Files: ATRI
- Created Date: Aug 22 2012 10:19PM