Distance-dependent patterns of intercity passenger mode share: A multiscale analysis of socioeconomic and spatiotemporal heterogeneity
5 affiliations
- 1College of City Construction, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
- 2School of Transportation, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- 3School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
- 4School of Architecture and Engineering, Jiangxi Modern Polytechnic College, Nanchang, China
- 5College of Automobile and Traffic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
Abstract
The intrinsic attributes of different transportation modes render travel distance a major factor of intercity passenger mode share; yet systematic examination of how this distance effect varies across multiscale contexts remains limited. Therefore, this study investigates how travel distance regulates the shares of highway, railway, and aviation modes in intercity transportation system, and examines the underlying dynamics across multiscale socioeconomic and spatiotemporal contexts. Using nationwide Location-based Services (LBS) data collected from China, polynomial fitting models were constructed to establish the relationship between travel distance and multi-modal shares. Our results demonstrate the significant role of travel distance in shaping intercity passenger mode shares, with effects that vary substantially across different contexts. Temporally, highway mode share rises for short-to-medium trips during holiday periods such as Spring Festival Travel Rush, while aviation always dominates for long trips. Spatially, Northeast China exhibits railway dominance, coastal regions concentrate aviation flows, while Southwest China depends on highways for short-distance connectivity. From the socioeconomic perspective, urban areas with higher economic level, administrative rank, and larger population exhibit elevated aviation shares and diminished highway shares. Our empirical findings advance understanding of nonlinear distance-modal share relationships considering socioeconomic and spatiotemporal features, thereby informing multimodal transport planning and cross-regional resource optimization in intercity transportation system.
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BibTeX
@article{xiang2026distancedependent,
title = {{Distance-dependent patterns of intercity passenger mode share: A multiscale analysis of socioeconomic and spatiotemporal heterogeneity}},
author = {Yun Xiang and Tao Zeng and Weijie Yu and Longfei Ye and Wei Wang and Wenyun Tang},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0352112},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0352112},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Distance-dependent patterns of intercity passenger mode share: A multiscale analysis of socioeconomic and spatiotemporal heterogeneity
AU - Yun Xiang
AU - Tao Zeng
AU - Weijie Yu
AU - Longfei Ye
AU - Wei Wang
AU - Wenyun Tang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0352112
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0352112
AB - The intrinsic attributes of different transportation modes render travel distance a major factor of intercity passenger mode share; yet systematic examination of how this distance effect varies across multiscale contexts remains limited. Therefore, this study investigates how travel distance regulates the shares of highway, railway, and aviation modes in intercity transportation system, and examines the underlying dynamics across multiscale socioeconomic and spatiotemporal contexts. Using nationwide Location-based Services (LBS) data collected from China, polynomial fitting models were constructed to establish the relationship between travel distance and multi-modal shares. Our results demonstrate the significant role of travel distance in shaping intercity passenger mode shares, with effects that vary substantially across different contexts. Temporally, highway mode share rises for short-to-medium trips during holiday periods such as Spring Festival Travel Rush, while aviation always dominates for long trips. Spatially, Northeast China exhibits railway dominance, coastal regions concentrate aviation flows, while Southwest China depends on highways for short-distance connectivity. From the socioeconomic perspective, urban areas with higher economic level, administrative rank, and larger population exhibit elevated aviation shares and diminished highway shares. Our empirical findings advance understanding of nonlinear distance-modal share relationships considering socioeconomic and spatiotemporal features, thereby informing multimodal transport planning and cross-regional resource optimization in intercity transportation system.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -