Measuring the Benefits of Intercity Passenger Rail: A Study

Passenger Alternative Travel Mode
One of the main tasks of this study was to estimate the number of diverted modal trips
and induced trips on the Heartland Flyer. The alternative travel mode question provided support
for this estimate. Table 5-11 provides a summary of the passengers’ reported travel alternatives
if the Heartland Flyer service did not exist.
Table 5-11: Passenger Alternative Travel Mode, Percent of All Trips
Alternative Travel Mode April (413) July (560)
Drive A Private Vehicle 47 55
Passenger in A Private Vehicle 11 8
Rental Car or Company Vehicle 3 2
Commercial Airline 7 5
Intercity Bus 3 3
Would Not Make Trip 29 27
Note: Sample size shown in parenthesis. Columns may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.
The automobile was the primary alternative to the Heartland Flyer for a majority of
passengers. Approximately 60 percent of passengers reported that they would use an automobile
for their trip, with most of these passengers driving a private vehicle for the trip. Less frequently
cited travel mode alternatives were commercial airline (6 percent) and intercity bus (3 percent).
Notably, nearly 30 percent of Heartland Flyer travelers reported that they would forgo their trip
if the service was discontinued. The “Mobility Impacts” section of this chapter provides more
in-depth discussion and analysis of the responses to this survey item.
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