Measuring the Benefits of Intercity Passenger Rail: A Study

items but rather estimated based upon the respondent’s intended spending levels. However,
researchers suspect that these responses were likely conservative estimates. Another issue for
these responses is that for certain types of trips, this question may not seem applicable (i.e.,
passenger moving from one permanent residence to another). The “Economic Impacts” section
of this chapter provides more detailed analysis of the response to this survey item.
Residential Location
The first demographic item on this survey was the passenger’s self-reported home zip
code. In the urban transit application, a more precise measure for a passenger’s residential
location is necessary for the data to be useful. However, for intercity travel, the passenger’s
home zip code is a sufficient approximation to identify where passengers live or for other
planning applications. Table 5-18 shows the home states for Heartland Flyer passengers
determined by reported residential zip code. The structure of postal zip codes allows for easy
identification of the state associated with a particular zip code. Approximately three-quarters of
Heartland Flyer passengers reported an Oklahoma zip code for their residence. This is not
surprising, as there are more stations in Oklahoma. Also, the train schedule was more
convenient for Oklahoma residents to schedule activities that involve riding the Heartland Flyer.
Approximately 20 percent of passengers reported a Texas residence.
Table 5-18: Passenger State of Residence, Percent of All Trips
State April (421) July (565)
Oklahoma 70 76
Texas 22 18
All Other States 8 7
Note: Sample size shown in parenthesis.
Columns may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.
Among passengers not from Oklahoma or Texas (less than 10 percent of all passengers),
a total of 19 states were represented, including all states that adjoin Oklahoma and Texas.
Table 5-19 provides a more detailed summary of the residential location of Heartland Flyer
passengers by train number. The proportion of Texas residents was markedly higher on train
#822 as compared to train #821. This difference might be partially a function of the survey
design, where Oklahoma residents on train #822 may have declined to participate in the survey
because they had already participated on train #821 that morning.
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