0920-0572 Plane, Trains and Auto Appendix 5 Question 1 Rationale

Appendix B5. Rationale for Question #1

This document contains information regarding why question #1 in the interview instrument is considering essential to the data collection.

Planes, Trains, and Auto-Mobility: Purpose and Rationale for Survey Question #1

The purpose of the Planes, Trains, and Auto-Mobility project is to increase walking among travelers in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Based on information from research (Anable et al., 2005) and from colleagues at the Atlanta Airport, communication concepts are likely to resonate differently for passengers traveling for business or for leisure.

Motivation for walking may be different for business travelers than for leisure travelers. If this is the case, two different messages will need to be developed for the walking campaign. If there is no difference, only one message will need to be developed. A study conducted in the United Kingdom (Anable et al., 2005) showed when travelling for work, individuals’ top priorities include features such as convenience, cost, predictability and health. Individuals traveling for leisure, however, place “no stress”, control, freedom and excitement as higher priorities. These findings indicate that messages to motivate leisure travelers to walk (rather than ride the train) may need to emphasize walking as a way to relieve stress. To motivate business travelers, however, the research suggests messages may be motivating if they emphasize walking as a way to improve one’s health. For these reasons, it is essential to assess whether a passenger is traveling for business or for leisure.

Reference

Anable, J. and Gatersleben, B. (2005). All work and no play? The positive utility of travel for work compared to leisure journeys. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Volume 39, p. 163-181.