摘要: |
The overall goal of this project is to enhance the fundamental understanding of Florida long-distance travel characteristics, and to provide policy implications for long-distance transportation planning in the future. To achieve the research goal, this study first conducts a descriptive analysis of long-distance travel with special emphasis on the modes used, distance traveled, and origins and destinations. Then, this study estimates mode choice models for long-distance travel that are sensitive to alternative specific attributes and traveler characteristics. It is important to have appropriate models that are able to provide accurate predictions of travelers mode choice behavior that consider how people choose one mode or another. The descriptive analysis shows that nearly 90 percent of trips are made by personal passenger cars, and most are on I-4, I-95, and Turnpike corridors that connect the Tampa, Orlando, and Miami/Fort Lauderdale urbanized areas as defined by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Among MSAs in Florida, Orlando is the hub for long-distance travel. The estimated model shows that both travel time and travel cost decrease car users utility, indicating that people will have a greater chance to shift to other modes as travel time and travel costs increase. In contrast, air travel has a positive sign for travel time, and a negative sign for travel cost, while bus has a negative coefficient for travel time and a positive sign for travel cost. Positive signs of these estimated parameters may imply that air travelers and bus users are willing to increase travel time and travel cost, respectively. |