Barriers to Passenger Rail Use: A Review of the Evidence

Research has shown that even when rail travel is the most cost-effective mode of transport for a particular journey, many travellers will still choose other modes. This indicates the existence of non-financial barriers to rail use, and this paper reviews the evidence on the importance of such barriers, focusing particularly on the UK but also considering research from other countries. A total of 37 distinct barriers were identified, and these can be divided into “hard”, “soft” and “complementary” factors. Travellers are unlikely to consider these barriers individually, viewing them instead as a package, which can make it difficult to identify which barriers are most significant. In many cases, all barriers which exist for a particular traveller will need to be addressed before mode shift occurs. After considering the relative importance of the different barriers, the paper concludes by making some suggestions as to the most effective ways in which these barriers can be overcome and mode shift to rail achieved. This has key implications for transport policy, as it can inform the targeting of the limited funds available to influence travel behaviour and increase the sustainability of travel patterns.     

Street network theory of organization in nature

This paper outlines a completely deterministic (“constructal”) theory of why quasi-similar street patterns exist, how they form, and how they grow in time. The function of the street network is to connect a finite area to a single destination point. The new idea is that the network of streets evolves in time, by starting with the optimization of the shape of the smallest area element that is serviced by the network. Next, the optimized area elements are assembled into a larger area element which is again optimized for shape. This sequence of optimization & organization is repeated in finite-size steps, toward larger quasi-similar assemblies. The optimization consists of minimizing the travel time between each point of a finite area and a common point of destination. The network is constructed (optimized, organized) in time. Every single geometric feature of the network is the result of pure, deterministic theory: the shape of each area element, the shape of each new (larger) assembly, the optimal number of parts in each assembly, the relative orientation of successive streets, and the optimal width of each street.     

How commuting affects subjective wellbeing

Transportation - Commuting between home and work is routinely performed by workers and any wellbeing impacts of commuting will consequently affect a large proportion of the population. This paper...     

Modeling traveler mode choice behavior of a new high-speed rail corridor in China

This study examines mode choice behavior for intercity business and personal/recreational trips. It uses multinomial logit and nested logit methods to analyze revealed preference data provided by travelers along the Yong-Tai-Wen multimodal corridor in Zhejiang, China. Income levels are found to be positively correlated with mode share increases for high-speed rail (HSR), expressway-based bus, and auto modes, while travel time and trip costs are negatively correlated with modal shift. Longer distance trips trigger modal shifts to HSR services but prevent modal shift to expressway-based auto use due to escalation of fuel cost and toll charges. Travelers are less elastic in their travel time and cost for trips by nonexpressway-based auto use modes. The magnitude of elasticity for travel time is higher than trip costs for business trips and lower for personal/recreational trips. The study provides some policy suggestions for transportation planners and decision-makers.