Document Type
Report
Publication Date
12-2023
Keywords
High-Speed Rail, Mode Shift Intentions, Pro-environmental Attitudes, Pro-environmental Habits, Pro-environmental Values, Social Norms, Descriptive Norms, Mediation Analysis, Moderation Analysis, Transportation, Eco-friendly Travel, Survey Data, SPSS, Environmental Impact, U.S. Department of Transportation, Travel Preferences, Sustainable Transportation
Abstract
While the US lags behind other nations in high-speed rail (HSR) development, it has seen growing interest in integrating HSR into its transportation network. Existing HSR literature focuses primarily on policies, advantages, and disadvantages of HSR development in the US, leaving a research gap in users’ intentions toward HSR. With the predominant use of air and cars in the US, it is imperative to understand mode shift intentions to HSR once it becomes a viable option for domestic travel. This study examined travelers’ mode shift intentions toward HSR in the US, focusing on important determinants of such intentions and the inter-relationships between key factors. Data was collected on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) using a structured questionnaire to form two mode shift groups for analysis – from air to HSR (n=637) and cars to HSR (n=250). To capture the complexity of the decision-making process, mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation analyses were performed on both mode shift groups. Results indicated that (1) intrinsic factors especially pro-environmental attitudes and proenvironmental personal values significantly mediated the normative influence on mode shift intentions toward HSR, (2) while HSR prices, travel time and service frequency were important in the mode shift decisions, their effect was enhanced by travelers’ motivation to try out new ridership experiences and (3) HSR information significantly moderated the mediating effect of pro-environmental attitudes in the relationship between HSR characteristics (especially HSR prices) and the intention to shift from air or cars to HSR. The findings contributed to the understanding of travelers’ mode shift intentions toward HSR and informed policymaking for successful HSR entry into the US market.
Recommended Citation
Pan, Ying Yu, "Mode Shift Intentions to High-Speed Rail in the US – Mediation and Moderation Analyses" (2023). Center for Advanced Transportation Mobility. 24.
https://digital.library.ncat.edu/catm/24