Option and Non-use Benefit Valuation of Passenger Rail Based on User and Non-user Attitudes: Case Study of Santa Cruz, California

Option and non-use values of public transportation are perceived benefits accrued by residents who have access to the transit system, even if they do not use it. Previous studies have identified non-use value gained from a range of sources, such as mobility for non-drivers, aiding economic vitality, and promoting environmental sustainability. This study examines data from a 2014 Passenger Rail Feasibility Study survey of prospective users and non-users of a proposed rail transit system in Santa Cruz, California, using a cumulative ordered logit model to identify which option and non-use values are held by individuals who do not intend to use a proposed rail transit system but do think that the system would have a positive benefit for the community overall. This study is unique in examining individual types of non-use value, rather than consolidating them into a single value during data collection. All 11 option and non-use variables modeled were found to be significantly associated with overall views of the proposed system. In particular, respondents who think the system would be good for the county were more likely to put importance on the possibility that the proposed rail system would improve their ability to continue driving their personal vehicle. . These findings indicate that public transit systems have the ability to generate a variety of non-use benefits to the community at large that are not captured by current cost-benefit analysis calculations.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP025 Standing Committee on Public Transportation Planning and Development.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Goodman, Brianna
  • Alemi, Farzad
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2016-1-10 to 2016-1-14
• Date: 2016

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: TRB 95th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Benefit cost analysis; Case studies; Logits; Passenger trains; Passenger transportation; Public transit
• Geographic Terms: Santa Cruz (California)
• Subject Areas: Passenger Transportation; Public Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01595051
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 16-3013
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 31 2016 9:31AM