HUMAN RESPONSE IN THE EVALUATION OF MODAL CHOICE DECISIONS

This research is an attempt (1) to evaluate the existing modes of transportation available for mixtures of inter and intra (urban and rural) travel, in terms of perceptions of current users and non-users for each mode; (2) to recommend ways in which non-users may be attracted to high density modes through improvement of key elements of the transport system (comfort, flexibility, etc.), and/or through properly communicating the actual advantages of the modes to potential users; (3) to evaluate proposed future modes and concept, (specifically the new Dallas-Fort Worth Airport) as to their potential demand for key passenger groups; (4) to develop a method for evaluating the relative importance of various transportation features attractive to key passenger gropus; and (5) to develop a method for estimating potential users of proposed transportation modes, as well as their usage dates. Validate the method by testing anticipated vs. actual use of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, and indicate those identification criteria which successfully discriminate users from non-users. The principal methodology to be used is magnitude estimation, which requires respondents to give estimates of their perceptions of stimuli in the real world. Other multivariate techniques (multiple regression, discriminant analysis and factor analysis) will be utilized. Groups studied will include whites, blacks, and chicanos stratified according to the usual social and economic constraints.