TRAVEL TO OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS IN KENTUCKY

Abstract

DURING THE SUMMER OF 1970 A LICENSE-PLATE O/D STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT 160 SITES IN 42 MAJOR RECREATION AREAS IN KENTUCKY. MODELLING CONCENTRATED ON THE SIMULATION OF DISTRIBUTED TRAVEL FLOWS FROM EACH OF 190 ORIGIN ZONES IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES TO EACH OF THE 42 AREAS. THE PRIMARY INDEPENDENT VARIABLES EMPLOYED WERE POPULATION OF THE ORIGIN ZONE, ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE RECREATION AREA, AND SPATIAL SEPARATION OF THE ZONES AND AREAS. THE CROSS-CLASSIFICATION MODEL WAS FOUND TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE MEANS FOR SIMULATING AND PREDICTING OUTDOOR RECREATION TRAVEL FLOWS AND WAS DECIDEDLY SUPERIOR TO ANY OF THE SINGLE-EQUATION MODELS EVALUATED. WITH THIS MODEL PER-CAPITA DISTRIBUTED FLOWS WERE FLOUND TO DECREASE AT A DECREASING RATE WITH INCREASING POPULATION, INCREASE AT AN INCREASING RATE WITH INCREASING ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE TYPE OF RECREATION FACILITY, AND DECREASE AT A DECREASING RATE WITH INCREASING DISTANCE.