Telecommunications and Travel

The potential of telecommunications technology to affect travel behavior has been perceived at least since the invention of the telephone. Fiction and nonfiction writers as far back as the 1870s speculated that such technologies would eliminate the need for travel to some extent. The spread of computers and information technology into the workplace, combined with the energy crises of the 1970s, catalyzed the exploration of telecommuting and teleconferencing as ways of reducing travel and, hence, curbing energy consumption. In the 1980s, policies directed toward improving air quality and reducing urban congestion provided the impetus for further study and experimentation, even as rapid advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) such as personal computers and fax machines supplied new enabling infrastructure. During the 1990s, we have experienced a continued proliferation in technology as the use of mobile telephones, electronic mail (e-mail), the Internet, and electronically enabled commerce (ecommerce) has become widespread. According to Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank, we are experiencing a “structural shift” in which “information technologies have begun to alter the manner in which we do business and create value, often in ways not readily foreseeable even five years ago” (1). However, the so-called information revolution has not been accompanied by a noticeable decrease in travel. Surveys such as the U.S. Nationwide Personal Transportation Study indicate that vehicle distances traveled per capita are growing. Apparently, the relationship between ICT and travel is not simply one of substitution. For researchers who are interested in better understanding travel behavior and for planners and policy makers who need to forecast trends, evaluate alternatives, and possibly influence behavior toward socially desirable ends, it is important to explore this complex relationship further. To help understand the relationship between telecommunications and travel behavior, researchers have found it useful to view transportation and telecommunications as alternate modes of communication. Specifically, communication can occur in three main ways: