Citation

Mylroie W. Highw. Res. Board bull. 1956; 119: 69-94.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1956, National Research Council (U.S.A.), Highway Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The development, use, and limitations of a mathematical formula are presented for measuring the relative desire for travel between cities in the state of washington. The need for such a formula grew out of the efforts, eventually successful, to develop a quantitative yardstick for measuring the state's interest in highways. This formula was used as one of six factors in the yardstick as developed for classifying, as state or county, all the rural roads of washington. Factors developed by others to measure the variation in interaction between different-sized groups varying distances apart are reviewed. Basically, this concept as applied to highways can be stated in general terms as follows: (1) the larger a population center the more traffic it generates and attracts, (2) the greater the distance between two population centers the less the travel between them, (3) the mathematical form of the law of attraction between physical masses. Included is a discussion of these basic concepts, a description of the general statistical procedures used for four formulas considered for measuring the concepts, and graphic presentation of the results of their correlation with minimum traffic counts between cities on seven representative cross-state routes. The method of application of the formula to the roads of washington is described and illustrated. Other possible applications and certain limitations of such formulas are also discussed. A bibliography of publications on related material is included. A single method of attack is seldom the answer to any problem. An intercity-travel-desire formula is one of the devices available for indicating the total amount of travel desire generated by separated population centers. It can be used as a reliable mathematical tool for estimating intercity origin-and destination data for determining how many people want to go where.