EFFECTS OF LEVELS OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICE ON AUTOMOBILE OWNERSHIP IN A CASE STUDY URBAN AREA

A disaggregate automobile ownership choice model is applied to estimate the elasticities of automobile ownership with respect to household income, fixed costs of automobiles, travel times on urban roadways and public transit service in a case study urban area. Focus is on the aggregate stock of automobiles held by all households, and on the distribution of households owning zero autos, one auto, two autos and three or more autos. Automobile ownership behaviors of sociodemographic segments in the total population are also contrasted. Results indicate that the total number of automobiles owned is approximately three times more sensitive to household income than to automobile travel times. Furthermore, automobile ownership is twice as sensitive to automobile travel times as it is to public transit travel times. Finally, the automobile ownership decisions of inner-city dwellers and older families are more sensitive to all of these factors than are the decisions of suburban dwellers and younger families. It is demonstrated that transportation policies affecting urban traffic efficiency and public transit service are likely to impact upon automobile ownership and these impacts will be disparate by geographical location and population socio-demographic segment. /Author/

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • This paper was prepared for the 1978 Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, January 17, 1978, Washington, D.C.
  • Corporate Authors:

    General Motors Corporation

    Research and Development Center, 30500 Mound Road
    Warren, MI  United States  48090
  • Authors:
    • Burns, L D
  • Publication Date: 1977-11

Media Info

  • Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 31 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00177311
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: GMR-2506
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jul 19 1978 12:00AM