FORECASTING THE COST OF DRIVING
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
1996
Subject Area
infrastructure - vehicle, ridership - forecasting, ridership - forecasting, economics - operating costs, mode - mass transit
Keywords
Vehicle usage, Vehicle maintenance, Tyres, Transit, Tires, Scenarios, Rubber tires, Ridership, Public transit, Projections, Patronage (Transit ridership), Operating costs, Oil consumption, Motor vehicles, Mass transit, Local transit, Incremental costs, Fuels, Fuel costs, Fuel consumption, Fuel conservation, Forecasting, Costs, Cost of operation, Automotive vehicles, Automobile use, Automobile usage, Automobile travel, Analysis
Abstract
A key parameter in most transportation studies is the cost per mile of operating a motor vehicle. Analyses of traveler mode choice usually focus on the cost of private vehicle operation. Although interest in vehicle operation waned in the 1980s, environmentalists with air quality issues have brought renewed interest to the cost of driving. This article discusses the incremental cost of driving, that is, the cost per mile of operating a vehicle in terms of consumable items (fuel, oil, tires) and distance-related items (scheduled maintenance). The analysis concentrates on light-duty vehicles--passenger cars and pickup trucks--used for personal transportation. The author reveals that the incremental cost of vehicle operation has dropped due to decreases in the real price of gasoline and increases in fuel economy, which results in increased vehicle usage and decreased transit ridership.
Recommended Citation
Allen, W, (1996) FORECASTING THE COST OF DRIVING, ITE Journal, Volume 66, Issue 2, p. 44.
