Abstract
This study estimated unobservable personal travel concerns using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach and investigated recursive and complex relationships among travel concerns, travel behavior and individual socioeconomic status. The model was developed using 54,552 individual survey responses obtained from the 2009 US National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). The unobservable concerns about travel were categorized into cost-concerns and safety-concerns and estimated by using measurable indicators that specify the most important transportation issue to the survey respondents. Travel behavior for auto and public transit trips were represented by daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and public transit usage, respectively. Results showed that people who have higher safety concerns more likely reduced their daily VMT while those who have higher cost concerns tended to use more public transit. State level models with the four most populated states in the U.S., â?? California, Texas, Florida and New York â?? were further compared to consider geographical impacts on travel concerns and travel behavior. The most influential concerns and their impact on travel behavior varied amongst the states, implying that the transportation environment in different geographic regions influences psychological characteristics on travel behavior.