ABSTRACT
Institutional mechanisms are very important in seeing travel demand management programs through to a successful conclusion. Alternative modes and hours of travel can reduce traffic congestion, energy consumption, and air pollution if and only if such alternatives are gaining in popularity. Alternative modes have been losing ground for many years. Qualitative attributes of transportation technologies may influence travel behavior as well. Comfort, convenience, reliability, safety, and security can be difficult to measure objectively. The automobile industry knows who buys which cars and for what purpose. Some cars are bought by men or women for themselves. Others may be bought for members of the opposite sex. Some cars are preferred by older drivers, others by younger drivers. Captive transit riders tend to concentrate in the centrai cities of large metropolitan areas. Captive riders are more dispersed and therefore more difficult to serve in smaller cities. Captive riders are often very young or very old.
