Skip to main content
Log in

An examination of the determinants of day-to-day variability in individuals' urban travel behavior

  • Published:
Transportation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Day-to-day variability in individuals' travel behavior (intrapersonal variability) has been recognized in conceptual discussions, yet the analysis and modeling of urban travel are typically based on a single day record of each individual's travel. This paper develops and examines hypotheses regarding the determinants of intrapersonal variability in urban travel behavior.

Two general hypotheses are formulated to describe the effects of motivations for travel and related behavior and of travel and related constraints on intrapersonal variability in weekday urban travel behavior. Specific hypotheses concerning the effect of various sociodernographic characteristics on intrapersonal variability are derived from these general hypotheses. These specific hypotheses are tested empirically in the context of daily trip frequency using a five-day record of travel in Reading, England.

The empirical results support the two general hypotheses. First, individuals who have fewer economic and role-related constraints have higher levels of intrapersonal variability in their daily trip frequency. Second, individuals who fulfil personal and household needs that do not require daily participation in out-of-home activities have higher levels of intrapersonal variability in their daily trip frequency.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Axelrod, M., “Urban Structure and Social Participation,” American Sociological Review, Vol. 21, 1956, pp 13–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnard, P.O., “Use of an Activity Diary Survey to Examine Travel and Activity Reporting in a Home Interview Survey,” Transportation, 1986.

  • Bonsall, P., F. Montgomery and C. Jones, “Deriving the Constancy of Traffic Flow Composition from Vehicle Registration Data,” Traffic Engineering and Control, Vol. 25, No. 7/8, 1984, pp 386–391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnett, K. P., “Tests of a Linear Learning Model of Destination Choice: Application to Shopping Travel by Heterogeneous Population Groups, Geographiska Annaler, Series B, Vol. 59, 1977, pp 95–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnett, K.P. and S. Hanson, “Rationale for an Alternative Mathematical Approach to Movement as Complex Human Behavior,” Transportation Research Record, 723, 1979, pp 11–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapin, F.S., Jr., “tActivity Systems and Urban Structure: A Working Schema,” Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 1968, pp 11–18.

  • Chapin, F.S., Jr., Human Activity Patterns in the City: Things People Do in Time and in Space, Wiley, New York, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapin, F.S., Jr., “Human Time Allocation in the City,” inHuman Activity and Time Geography, T. Carlstein, D. Parkes and N. Thrift (eds.), Wiley and Sons, New York, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Downes, J. D. and R. Wroot, 1971 Repeat Survey of Travel in the Reading Area, Department of the Environment, TRRL SR 43 UC, Crowthorne, England, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuller, W. A. and G. E. Battese, “Estimation of Linear Models with Crossed-Error Structure,” Journal of Econometrics, Vol. 2, 1974, pp 67–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golledge, R., “Some Equilibrium Models of Consumer Behavior,” Economic Geography, Vol. 46, 1970, pp 417–424.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golob, T. F. and H. Meurs, “Biases in Response Over Time in a Seven-Day Travel Diary,” Transportation, 1986.

  • Hagerstrand, T., “What About People in Regional Science?” Papers and Proceedings of the Regional Science Association, Vol. 24, 1970, pp 7–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagerstrand, T., The Impact of Transport on the Quality of Life, Fifth International Symposium on Theory and Practice in Tansport Economics, Greece, October 1973.

  • Heggie, I.G., “Putting Behavior into Behavioral Models of Travel Choice,” Journal of Operational Research Society, 29, 1978, pp 541–550.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herz, R., “Stability, Variability, and Flexibility in Every Day Behavior,” in Recent Advances in Travel Demand Analysis, Carpenter, S. and P. Jones (eds.) Gower Publishing Company, Aldershot, England, 1983, pp 385–400.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodge, R.W. and D.J. Treiman, “Social Participation and Social Status,” American Sociological Review, Vol. 33, No. 5, 1968, pp 722–739.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huff, J. O. and S. Hanson, “Repetition and Variability in Urban Travel,” Manuscript in Publication Review, 1985.

  • Marble, D.F. and S.R. Bowlby, “Shopping Alternatives and Recurrent Travel Patterns,” in Geographic Studies of Urban Transportation and Network Analysis, F.E. Horton (ed.), Northwestern University Press, Evanston, IL., 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, R.B. and J.C. Rapkin, Urban Traffic A Function of Land Use, Columbia University Press, New York, 1954.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oi, W.Y. and P.W. Shuldiner, An Analysis of Urban Travel Demands, Northwestern University Press, Evanston, Illinois, 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pas, E. I., “Are We Too Severe in Assessing the Goodness-of-Fit of Travel Demand Models?” Manuscript in review, 1985.

  • Pas, E.I., “Multiday Samples, Parameter Estimation Precision and Data Collection Costs for Least Squares Regression Trip Generation Models,” Environment and Planning A, to appear, 1986.

  • Pas, E.I. and F.S. Koppelman, “Comparative Analysis of the Transferability of Disaggregate Automobile Ownership and Mode Choice Models,” Transportation Research Record, 1984, pp 40–48.

  • Reichman, S., “Travel Adjustments and Lifestyles — A Behavioral Approach” in Behavioral Travel Demand Models, Stopher, P.R. and A.H. Meyburg (eds.), Lexington Books, Lexington, Massachusetts, 1976, pp 143–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reisman, L., “Class, Leisure and Social Participation,” American Sociological Review, Vol. 19, no. 1, 1954, pp 76–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapcott, M., “Comparison of the Use of Time in Reading, England with Time Use in Other Countries,” Transactions of the Martin Centre for Architectural and Urban Studies, Vol. 3, 1978, pp 231–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapcott, M. and P. Steadman, “Rythms of Urban Activity,” in Human Activity and Time Geography, T. Carlstein, D. Parkes and N. Thrift (eds.), Wiley and Sons, New York, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pas, E.I., Koppelman, F.S. An examination of the determinants of day-to-day variability in individuals' urban travel behavior. Transportation 14, 3–20 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00172463

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00172463

Keywords

Navigation