Analysis of Transportation Modes by Evaluating SWOT Factors and Pairwise Comparisons: A Case Study

Cape Breton Island is one of the most beautiful islands in the World. The island itself has a unique geography and is located in Nova Scotia, Canada. This chapter introduces and summarizes the current transportation modes in Cape Breton Island. The transportation modes discussed include air, rail, water, truck, and intermodal modes. A SWOT matrix is applied to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to the different transportation modes in Cape Breton Island. Then, the factors are evaluated and ranked based on pairwise comparisons in analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, and the best strategies are defined. This research provides a unique and multidisciplinary overview of transportation modes in the region that is necessary for future quantitative investigations. Furthermore, it introduces the steps to analyze transportation modes of other areas and regions.