Graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin are conducting a survey to explore Austinites’ vehicle ownership choices and preferences for future vehicles, under various energy policies and vehicle technologies.
In today’s world of rising fuel prices and climate concerns, vehicle ownership and use decisions are a key policy focus for public agencies and entire communities. The URL is http://vehiclesurvey.engr.utexas.edu and the survey takes about15 minutes to complete.
Under the direction of Dr. Kara Kockelman at the university’s Center for Transportation Research, the project will help researchers better understand decisions and attitudes about vehicle choices, offering ideas for policy, vehicle pricing and new technologies.
“Rising gasoline prices, emerging engine technologies and changes in fuel-economy policy will result in a variety of behavioral changes,” said Kockelman. “These include how many and what kind of vehicles people have, the timing of vehicle purchases, how and how far people travel and at what speeds. This research will help transportation planners better anticipate how people will respond to new vehicle designs and pricing, so they can predict the number of vehicles on the road and the impact on transportation-based carbon emissions.”
