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This study measures the use of portable electronic technology by travelers on intercity trains, planes, and buses. Using data obtained from field observations of 7,028 passengers in fourteen states, it shows that travelers on “curbside” bus operators, such as Boltbus and Megabus, and high-speed Acela Express trains are the heaviest users of portable technology. At randomly selected points during trips, 39.6% of passengers on curbside buses are using some form of portable technology— two percentage points more than on conventional Amtrak trains and more than twice that on commercial flights and Greyhound. Technology use on the high-speed Acela Express is higher than curbside buses on weekdays but lower on weekends. The type of technology used by travelers differs widely between modes of travel and day of week. More than half of technology users on curbside bus services are engaged in audio activities, such as cell-phone calls, using digital music players, and other such activities. Usage on trains is much different, with users of visually oriented technologies, such as those involving laptop computers and other devises with LCD screens, outnumbering audio users by more than two-to-one. These and other findings suggests that the ability to use portable electronics is an important factor offsetting the longer travel time associated with certain bus and train trips and providing a new incentive for travelers to use transportation services that operate to and from the downtown districts of major cities. To support this premise, the final section of the study shows that that intercity bus service expanded 5.1% in 2009—a rate of growth higher than all other major modes for the third straight year
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