Conceptual models of the effect of information and communications technology on long-distance travel demand

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Rapidly evolving information and communications technology (ICT) poses a risk to the accuracy of long-distance travel (LDT) demand forecasts. The nature of this risk is multifaceted: ICT could reduce demand if people substituted virtual for physical travel, or it could serve as a complement and thereby induce more demand. This paper presents two conceptual models for better understanding the nature of those relationships. Both models start from an existing LDT model and envision how that model can be adapted to capture ICT effects, with one considering the effects explicitly and the other implicitly. When the effects of future technology are being forecast, data collected in the past or in the present, when the future technology does not exist, are inherently limited. In such situations, conceptual models such as these can be applied by using a scenario-based approach to explore a range of reasonable outcomes. This strategy can be an important tool not just for ICT, but also for understanding the risks posed by other future technologies, such as autonomous vehicles.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationIntersections of Transportation and Telecommunications
Subtitle of host publicationFindings by the 2016 Chan Wui and Yunyin Rising Star Fellows
Pages26-34
Number of pages9
ISBN (Electronic)9780309441896
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017

Publication series

NameTransportation Research Record
Volume2658
ISSN (Print)0361-1981

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering

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