Understanding high-speed rail users in the US – Environmental and sustainability perspectives

Abstract

The US lags behind many countries in high-speed rail (HSR) development. As HSR is a new phenomenon in the US, it remains unclear whether or not US travelers perceive HSR as a sustainable transport mode and their intention to travel by HSR. The extent to which travelers might consider environmental impacts when choosing HSR for domestic travel is also unknown. This study collected survey data from US travelers (n = 684) and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling and hierarchical logistic regression. The sustainability analysis, based on the three-pillar theory, revealed significant influence of safety and accessibility (social dimension) and environmental impact (environment dimension) on the perceived sustainability and intention to travel by HSR. The logistic regression further indicated that environmental factors, compared to demographic and travel characteristics, can better predict the level of environmental consideration of US travelers when deciding to use HSR. The environmental factor was important in both analyses, suggesting a relatively high level of green travel awareness among US travelers and potential acceptance and intention toward HSR. The findings contribute to the knowledge of HSR and sustainability from the perspective of travelers, and provide practical implications for the US to move toward a sustainable transport system.