Studying Transportation Systems from the Consumer Viewpoint, Some Recommendations

摘要

The objectives of the University of Maryland Study of Consumer Demand for Transportation were to: Identify the characteristics of an ideal urban passenger transport system as conceived by the consumer, and determine the extent to which consumers consider existing modes to satisfy this ideal. The first volume reports the results of two pilot sample survey studies conducted in the Baltimore and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. The second volume is a brief 16 page overview of the conduct of the studies, their reliability and limitations, and current knowledge. These studies differ from most previous transport modal choice research in that they analyze the personal attitudinal calculus of the user in making the modal decision, and pursues the concept of measuring in scalar terms the relative importance and satisfaction of factors influencing modal choice through psychologically oriented methods. A structuring of the importance of system attributes has been accomplished for the work trip, the non-work trip, and a composite general ideal system. Eight factors appear salient to consumers in making transport mode decisions; arrayed by importance, they are: Reliability of destination achievement, convenience and comfort, travel time, cost, condition of vehicle, independence and self esteem, congestion, and diversions while in travel. Given present levels of service, consumer satisfaction with public transportation was found to be much farther from the ideal than the private automobile for both trip purposes and is greatest for the non-work trip. There is, however, substantial variation among attributes within the satisfaction structuring. (Author)