MAKING DO: THE EFFECTS OF A MASS TRANSIT STRIKE ON TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR

A brief transit strike in early December 1976 disrupted bus services to the city of Pittsburgh and surrounding Allegheny County. That strike provided an opportunity for testing a variety of approaches to increase ride-sharing and to reduce traffic congestion, and for examining the effect of the strike on traffic congestion and on individual travel behavior. Even though over 60% of the commuters to the CBD use transit, the effects of the strike were relatively mild. There was some increase in traffic flow into the CBD and some spreading of the peak period. The largest proportion of the transit commuters who made trips to the CBD during the strike were dropped off by a non-commuter, increasing highway traffic. The most severe impact was felt by those transit commuters who had no cars in the household; 25% of these commuters (only 3% of the total CBD commuters) stayed home from work on the first day of the strike. Most attempts to mitigate the impact of the strike had little effect, largely because most commuters were able to manage adequately during the short strike. The anticipated parking problem, on which much of the contingency planning was focused, did not emerge, largely because of the use of carpooling and "drop-off" mode by many of the transit users. (A)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00494488
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  Radarweg 29
  Amsterdam,   Netherlands  1043 NX
• Authors:
  • Blumstein, A
  • Miller, H D
• Publication Date: 1983-3

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 361-382
• Serial:
  • Transportation (Netherlands)
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
  • ISSN: 0049-4488

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Behavior; Car pooling (Railroads); Carpools; Central business districts; Labor; Legislation; Motor vehicles; Ownership; Parking; Peak periods; Public transit; Strikes; Traffic congestion; Traffic flow; Travel behavior; Work trips
• Uncontrolled Terms: Cbd; Prohibitions; Work
• Geographic Terms: Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania); United States
• ITRD Terms: 2267: Attitude (psychol); 9001: Behaviour; 302: Business district; 1119: Car pooling; 632: Congestion (traffic); 621: Journey to work; 2271: Occupation; 955: Parking; 612: Peak hour; 1525: Prohibition; 744: Public transport; 671: Traffic flow; 8122: USA; 315: Vehicle ownership
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Law; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00378679
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1983 12:00AM