Mode Shift Strategies to Effect Energy Savings in Intercity Transportation. Final Report

摘要

Increased fuel costs and growing concern over energy consumption and energy conservation have not, to date, changed the demand for U.S. transportation modes. Thus, short of changing life styles or developing an expanded willingness to use our communications systems as an alternative to travel, it will not be easy to alter the growth of travel demand, its distribution among the modes, or the consumption of energy by the transportation system. The FEA did, however, examine the potential for lessening the amount of energy devoted to transportation. The major goals in this study are to determine the extent to which intercity travelers could be induced to shift from highly energy-consumption to more-energy-efficient travel modes, and to identify means of inducing such mode shifts which could save significant amounts of energy. The analysis was restricted to short-haul transport of intercity travelers in two high-density areas--the Northeast and California corridors. A major concern was the reaction of the traveling public to qualitative transportation system changes. The following fuel-conservation strategies were studied: air-fare adjustments; rail-fare reductions; rail- and bus-fare reductions; auto-cost increases; rail-block-time reductions; rail and bus block-time reductions; car availability; air frequency reductions; and combinations of the above. The study concludes with an examination of issues that could constrain or hamper implementation of the most attractive strategies found. (ERA citation 03:018586)