This paper aims to measure the human threshold of travel behavior, namely minimum perceivable difference (MPD). We improve the MPD model originally proposed by Krishnan (1977) to measure the MPD for multi-alternative choice problem. By estimating the model of route choice behavior in the Tokyo Metropolitan urban railway network, we find that the MPD is around 76 seconds. Then, we discuss the impact of the MPD on the travel demand by applying the models to the railway project in Tokyo Metropolitan Area. We conclude that 1) MNL model may overestimate the demand when the difference of utility between alternatives is small, but its impact is quite small ; 2) MPD model tends to have a sensible parameter, but its impact is small as well.

The objective of this study is to investigate issues and necessary measures for fare system of metropolitan railways, especially issues resulting from fare system by railway companies. The common fare system is one of a measure to improve that issues. Most important point is how to improve the user benefit and company's profit by introducing this fare system, so a quantitative analysis using transport demand analysis method are made. This result demonstrated that the common fare system is effective in improving user's benefit and social benefit but it may result in a decrease in company's profit. This study therefore make a suggestion to introduce the common fare system together with some others support measures, such as provision of public subsidy to reduce the user's burden and not to cause any loss in company's profit.

Methods of demand forecast for a new transit system, Tokadai Peachliner, are evaluated. The ridership originally predicted by the authority using 4 step method is 31,000 passengers/day in 1991, which resulted in the overprediction of 15 times. We found that the authority overestimated 1.7 times larger at the 'trip generation' stage and 7 times at the 'modal split' stage. We also found that the disaggregate modeling approach could better reach the observed value when the competing JR line and socio-economic variables are well considered.

In case, train operation is interrupted for a long period of time on the Tokaido Shinkansen line, it would possibly incur significant social costs. This is primarily because of the huge passenger demand the route is serving and the absence of any alternative route.

Taking the case of Tokaido Shinkansen, this study makes an attempt to estimate the effect of alternative routes in reducing the possible social loss to be caused by an interruption of train operation for a long period of time. The study employs a quantitative method to evaluate the effects of four different alternative routes.

The findings of the study suggest that all alternative routes reduce the impact of service interruption on passenger demand. The study also confirmed that the parallel route is most effective in reducing the general social loss including the loss in sightseeing expenditure viewed as a representative monetary loss.

This paper analyzes the UK's local tranport administration system and its transport policies in the Conservative era of 1990's from the three perspectives: fragmentation, centralisation, and privitasation. Regional and functional fragmentation in London and other regions in England strengthened control of the central government over regional policy-making process and its function of inter-regional policy coordination along with development of privatization. On the other hand, amidst of increase of entities involved, partnership with the private sector was reinforced in order for the government to achieve public goals of tranport policies. Experiences in UK, which went through structural reform of local governments, are suggestive to Japan's formulating regional transport policies.