AUTOMOBILE AVAILABILITY PER WORKER: A TRANSPORTATION-SYSTEM-SENSITIVE SOCIOECONOMIC VARIABLE (ABRIDGMNET)

The general objective of this research was to investigate the impact of a viable transit alternative on household decisions to have automobiles for use in making home-based trips. The specific objectives were to determine differences in automobiles available per worker (APERW) between households in areas served by transit and to recommend socioeconomic variables that appear to have high correlation and possible causal effects on APERW for consideration in travel demand models. The study was carried out in Laurel, Maryland, which has a population of 48,000 and an area of 23 sq km (9 sq mi) and is located approximately midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The transit service hypothesized to influence APERW is an express commuter service operated by Greyhound from Laurel to Washington. Other transit service is provided to Washington by the B&O Railroad. Automobile competition with transit is substantial. One limited-access highway (Baltimore-Washington Parkway) and a primary highway (US-1) link Laurel with Washington. Ninety-two percent of all households in the study area were given a questionnaire to complete and return to convenient pick-up areas. In addition to socioeconomic and sociodemographic questions, respondents were asked to identify all work trips and the modes taken for all family members. The response rate was 4.2 percent. The finding of other studies, that the variable automobiles-available-per-worker is strongly related to mode choice, was corroborated. For work trips to Washington, the percentages carpooling or using transit greatly decreased with increasing automobiles available per worker.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1978/673/673-032.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=AUTOMOBILE+AVAILABILITY+PER+WORKER%3A+A+TRANSPORTATION-SYSTEM-SENSITIVE+SOCIOECONOMIC+VARIABLE+(ABRIDGMNET)&author=R.+Kingham&publication_year=1978
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appeared in TRB Research Record No. 673, Transportation Forecasting and Travel Behavior. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Passenger Travel Demand Forecasting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Kingham, R Ian
• Publication Date: 1978

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 202-205
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 673
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile travel; Bus transportation; Carpools; Households; Intercity bus lines; Mathematical models; Public transit; Questionnaires; Railroad commuter service; Socioeconomic factors; Transportation planning; Travel demand; Urban transportation; Work trips
• Uncontrolled Terms: Models; Socioeconomic data
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00196015
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 15 1981 12:00AM