Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

5-1996

School/College

College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (COSET)

Degree Name

MS in Transportation Planning & Management

First Advisor

Professor Naomi Lede

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and examine selected Transportation Measure programs being utilized in the Houston Galveston area. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of selected Transportation Control Measure programs used to discourage single occupancy vehicle use, provide an assessment of selected Transportation Control Measures which have the potential to impact travel behavior and reduce vehicle miles travel, and provide an overview of costs, benefits, and limits associated with the implementation of Transportation Control Measure programs. 1 2 Since the 1991 Clean Air Act Amendment, the Houston-Galveston area has implemented programs to assist in the reduction of single occupancy vehicle use. However, the program's success has been less than satisfactory. Regional planners are now faced with the difficult task of designing more effective programs to influence commuters to alter travel behavior. The methods used to accomplish the research objectives included a state-ofthe- art descriptive survey distributed to those employers in the Houston-Galveston area that had a minimum of 100 employees and continued to maintain an Employer Trip Reduction (ETR) program. A random sample was chosen directly from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) database, which contained a list of employer work-sites and Employee Transportation Coordinators. The data collected were analyzed and incorporated into a theoretical model to test the validity of the hypotheses. The analysis of the collected data involved several steps in testing the hypotheses. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients were computed and expressed in a matrix form with their respective magnitude and directions. This enabled the understanding of the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The Chi Square test was also used to test the relationship between these variables. The major findings of this research study revealed a strong relationship between the independent variable (employer support) and the dependent variable (participation rate). There was also a relationship between employer support and level 3 of program operation. However, the relationship between participation rate and the level of program funding was statistically shown to be weak.

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