A Study On Travel Information Acquisition Behavior And Willingness To Pay Under ATIS

In recent years, the proportion of travel by private car in urban areas increases very fast. Besides meeting the travel needs of private car traveler, it is required to give effective control of private car trips, in order to allocate the urban transportation resources rationally and enhance the utilization of urban roads. As an important component of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) can provide travel information to assist travelers choosing reasonable travel route and departure time, which have become the keypoint to solve urban traffic problems. Travel information acquisition behavior is the basis for travel behavior of urban traveler under ATIS. The important part includes travel information acquisition, travel information perception, and travel information acceptance during the whole travel process, which reflects the traveler's travel decision-making characteristics. In the research of travel behavior, travel information acquisition behavior and travel choice behavior have quite differences, along with a certain of similarities. Travel information can influence the travel understanding of travelers, thereby affecting travel choices behavior of travelers. Travel choice behaviors of various types of travelers constitute a driving force for urban transport system.This study follows a research framework of ATIS-based travel information acquisition behavior of private car travler. Start from the worldwide ATIS application and basic research literature review, the study carries on in-depth research on the key factors influencing private car traveler's travel information acquisition behavior. Combined with the recently achievements of travel behavior research, the author focuses on the research of travel information needs, travel information acquisition behavior, and willingness to pay for travel information of private car travelers. The main findings in the dissertation are involved as follows:Firstly, on the basis of extensive collection of worldwide related ATIS research literature, the study describes the development of ATIS, especially on the implement and research of ATIS in United States, Japan, Europe and other countries and regions around the world. The ATIS system features, construction purposes, operating modes, and social reactions are analyzed and compared. By reviews of worldwide research progress on travel information acquisition behavior and willingness to pay for travel information, the key factors that affect ATIS implement and operation have been analyzed. Through summing up the problems in existing research, the author discusses the development and implementation feasibilities of ATIS in China.Secondly, through the examination of ATIS construction and people interviews, travel information contents for urban private car travelers have been presented. With design and implementation of travel information demand intention investigation of private car travelers, a method of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is introduced to discriminate and classify the travel information contents, for the purpose of establish the comprehensive evaluation index of travel information contents. A cumulative logistic model of travel information acquisition has been built to study travel information needs of private car travelers. This part analyses the impact of travel information contents on the travel information acquisition behavior of private car travelers in China, and then makes further efforts to propose relevant strategies on the standardized construction of ATIS.Thirdly, based on the theory of information technology acceptance, a research framework of relations between travel information perception and willingness to use travel information of private car travelers has been proposed. With the introduction of personal social and economic characteristics of private car travelers as an influencing factor index, the study proposes a theory model of personal characteristics of private car travelers affecting their willingness to use travel information via travel information perception. The results of empirical study reveal the interactions between travel information perception and willingness to use travel information of privatecar travelers, as well as the driving force of individual socio-economic characteristics to travel information perception and willingness to use travel information of privatecar travelers, which expand the cause research of travel information acquisition behavior.Finally, a discrete choice model of travel information acquisition by private car travelers has been proposed, introducing some characteristic variables, such as price per month of travel information services, delay time of travel information, travel information service media. Obtaining data by stated preference survey of travel information services using by private car travelers, the probabilities of travel information services using by private car traveler in complex cases can be established, including the cases with different travel information service media, information service prices, and information delay time. Thus the point elasticities of travel information using probabilities to information prices are deduced, which determine the willingness to pay of private car traveler for travel information under different conditions. Some useful strategies and methods of travel information service differential pricing are proposed in the end.