AbstractThe consideration of a new mode of intercity travel, such as high‐speed rail passenger service, immediately raises the question of whether the demand meets the criteria for economic feasibility. Before the demand issue can be addressed however, an understanding of the mechanism of an intercity traveller's decision about how to travel must be gained. In the reported study, four different modes for intercity travel are explicitly considered: bus, private automobile, commercial air service, and conventional rail service. In addition, several structurally different disaggregate models for mode choice decisions are considered. The models which are developed suggest that decisions should probably be viewed as being sequential (versus simultaneous) and largely based on the perceptions of the travel services provided. The characteristics of the traveller (including trip purpose) appear to be collectively more important than measurable characteristics of the mode alternatives. In general, the modeling effort was successful with relatively reliable models being developed. The information that results from such an effort is useful to both those who are interested in predicting modal choice from a facility planning perspective as well as those interested in marketing (or at least assessing the demand for) new intercity modes. In the end, however, the implication regarding the capability of high‐speed rail to effectively compete with other modes is that it has yet to be proven—this work suggests that it wil
展开▼
