PERCEPTUAL MARKET SEGMENTATION TECHNIQUE FOR TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS

Abstract

A primary aim of this research is to illustrate a relatively uncomplicated and effective perceptual market segmentation procedure for transportation policy analysis. This illustration is achieved through a flowchart describing the technique, an empirical application, and tests of the reliability of the derived market segmentation structures across split halves of a data set. The procedure was calibrated on a sample of Los Angeles central business district workers. The segmentation structure, which was derived for the full sample, readily distinguished the perceptual groups an correlated highly with appropriated mode-choice patterns. It was also observed that perceptual segmentation membership was a stronger determinant of mode choice than zone network times and costs. The split sample analyses showed reliable relationships across halves and confirmed the mode-choice linkage of perceptual segments relative to network times and costs. Among the practical implications of the segmentation procedure are its use in developing short-range forecasting models and its potential for developing information aids to target groups of travelers. /Authors/