Exploring the Positive Utility of Travel and Mode Choice

Abstract

Why do people travel? Underlying most travel behavior research is the deriveddemand paradigm of travel analysis, which assumes that travel demand is derived from the demand for spatially separated activities, traveling is a means to an end (reaching destinations), and travel time is a disutility to be minimized. In contrast, the "positive utility of travel" (PUT) concept suggests that travel may not be inherently disliked and could instead provide benefits or be motivated by desires for travel-based multitasking, positive emotions, or fulfillment. The PUT idea assembles several concepts relevant to travel behavior: utility maximization, motivation theory, multitasking, and subjective well-being.Despite these varied influences, empirical analyses of the PUT concept remain limited in both quantity and scope. There is a need for more fundamental development and classification of the PUT idea and its multifaceted nature. The wide variety and quality of ways to measure PUT attributes are further research challenges. Additionally, few studies investigate both major aspects of the PUT concept-travel activities and travel experiences-simultaneously. Finally, research is only beginning to examine empirical associations between PUT measures and travel behaviors such as mode choice. This dissertation addresses many of these gaps in conceptualizing, measuring, and modeling the PUT concept.First, a literature review strengthens the definition, classification, and empirical support for a PUT, defined as "any benefit(s) accruing to a traveler through the act of traveling." The two primary PUT categories are travel activities (travel-based multitasking) and travel experiences (travel subjective well-being), and the most useful PUT measures involve gathering self-reported assessments of these topics. Based on this ii review, an online questionnaire is designed and administered to nearly 700 commuters in the Portland, OR, region. The survey includes detailed questions about commute mode choice, activity participation, travel usefulness, positive emotions and fulfillment, and travel liking for a recent home-to-work trip.Next, these PUT measures are empirically examined using factor analyses, finding groupings of activities and common unobserved constructs of hedonic ("Distress," "Fear," "Attentiveness," "Enjoyment") and eudaimonic ("Security," "Autonomy," "Confidence", "Health") subjective well-being. Many of these factors exhibit large variations among travel modes-walking and bicycling commuters are the most satisfied and appear to value time spent exercising-and are predicted (somewhat less strongly) by other trip and traveler characteristics in ordered logit regression and structural equation models.Finally, integrated choice and latent variable models are estimated to examine relationships between measures of the PUT concept and commute mode choice. This is made possible by the unique dataset that collects PUT measures for not only the chosen mode but also modal alternatives. Measures of travel-based multitasking are ...

Traffic Volumes as a Modal Split Parameter

“…The public transport (PuT) concept could be one explanation for this; if people positively value travel, they may be less sensitive to behavior change strategies to reduce travel demand. Some research suggests people who like to travel are less likely to adopt travel-reducing strategies or are more likely to adopt travel maintaining/increasing strategies to deal with congestion [12,13]. On the other hand, other non-PuT-related congestion coping mechanisms may also have an effect: accepting the costs, changing travel patterns, changing work schedules or locations, changing employment status, buying time or productivity at home, and moving [14].…”

How Useful is Travel-Based Multitasking? Evidence from Commuters in Portland, Oregon

“…If travelers value multitasked activities, then current VTTS estimates may be biased, yielding incorrect predictions of travel behavior shifts and calculations of user benefits. Work is underway to more formally consider activity participation during travel within microeconomic time use and allocation theories (7), and there is emerging research that suggests travel-based multitasking may indeed affect VTTS (8,9). Understanding the usefulness of travel activities is an important part of these efforts.…”

Evolutions in undirected travel (satisfaction) during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The positive utility of travel is defined as benefits derived from the act of traveling, due to either experiences or activity-participation during travel ( De Vos et al, 2016 , Singleton, 2017 ) or the travel itself ( Mokhtarian and Salomon, 2001 ). For example, the extra time is often worthwhile for those interested in completing assignments, enjoying hobbies, pet walking, or being physically active while they travel ( Cook, 2021 , Jain and Lyons, 2008 ).…”