High-Speed Rail in the US- The Intention to Use and Mode Choice Behavior

High-speed rail (HSR) has become a popular mode for domestic travel, offering fast, comfortable, and convenient travel experience valued by travelers. While many countries have developed HSR to connect major cities, the United States lags other countries in HSR development. The situation is expected to change given the changing mode preference in the US especially for youth and senior populations, the new normality for travel in the post-pandemic era, and more importantly, the US government’s re-focus on HSR, which can reshape the transportation in the domestic market. The re-balance in the transportation system calls for in-depth research of HSR in the US. The literature in this area, however, is limited particularly regarding the behavioral intention of American travelers toward HSR. This study aims to fill this important gap by investigating (1) passengers’ choice among car, air, and HSR for domestic travel in the US and (2) key determinants of American passengers’ intention to use HSR and how they differ from what have been observed in other countries. A new theoretical framework will be proposed based on the theory of planned behavior and the goal framing theory. Constructs validated in previous studies will be used for model development. This study will develop a structured questionnaire to collect data via Amazon® Mechanical Turk® (MTurk). By providing empirical evidence from the lens of passenger intention and behavior, this study can make theoretical and practical contributions to the use of HSR in the US.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $61112
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747125

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Center for Advanced Transportation Mobility

  North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
  Greensboro, NC  United States  27411

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  North Carolina A&T State University

  1601 E. Market Street
  Greensboro, NC  United States  27411
• Performing Organizations:

  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

  600 S. Clyde Morris Boulevard
  Daytona Beach, Fl  United States  32114
• Principal Investigators:

  Pan, Jing Yu

• Start Date: 20211001
• Expected Completion Date: 20230731
• Actual Completion Date: 20230901
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Forecasting; High speed rail; Mode choice; Travel behavior
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01841347
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Advanced Transportation Mobility
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747125
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Apr 2 2022 11:19AM