Who Supports High-Speed Passenger Rail? The Characteristics and Attitudes of Supporters

Research on potential users of high-speed passenger rail (HSR) captures a segment of the population that supports HSR because they plan to use it. This paper seeks to describe the population that supports HSR, regardless of whether they plan to use the service or not. Specifically, this research seeks to discover the characteristics and attitudes of those that agree HSR should be implemented within the Interstate-35 corridor of Texas. Knowing who supports HSR can help advocates identify potential supporters and can help policymakers assess the potential level of support from their constituency. Using an ordered logit regression model with data from a random sample survey of Texas residents, the variables of public involvement preferences, opinions regarding expansion of passenger rail between cities, traffic congestion in the past five years, and lack of travel options between cities, residence location, political leanings, and level of education all significantly influence a respondent’s level of agreement that HSR should be implemented as a long-term solution for Texas’ I-35 corridor.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AR010 Intercity Passenger Rail.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Larsen, Katie A
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
• Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 20p
• Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: High speed rail; Persons and personal characteristics; Public opinion; Regression analysis; Surveys
• Identifier Terms: Interstate 35
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Railroads; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01518901
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-3627
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 21 2014 11:27AM