HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? THE DISCUSSION ON THE SUBSTITUTION OF TRAVEL DEMAND BETWEEN CAR AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT . TRANSPORTATION PLANNING RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM 1990. MEASURING, MODELLING, MONITORING. NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN RESEARCH METHODS. THE HAGUE, NOVEMBER 29-30, 1990. VOLUME I AND II

This paper deals with the issue of substitution between car and public transport. The emphasis is on two questions: (1) why do improvements of the public transport system attract so few car users, at least on a national scale? (2) why do so few car users switch to public transport in response to so called 'push' measures? The answers to these questions presented in this paper amount to one common aspect; there are still too many spatial relations where the public transport supply is not a competitive alternative with respect to time, place and character among all the available alternatives for travel behaviour. This leads to the conclusion that if substitution between car and public transport is to be the main objective of improvements in the public transport system, these should be aimed at future car users. Such an approach requires that public transport systems be designed using new design principles, with specific emphasis on elements which are perhaps less relevant to the present (captive) public transport users. (Author/TRRL)