IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transa/v120y2019icp101-115.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effect of parenthood on travel behavior: Evidence from the California Household Travel Survey

Author

Listed:
  • Chakrabarti, Sandip
  • Joh, Kenneth

Abstract

Literature suggests that young children have a significant influence on activity patterns and time-use of adult men and women in dual-earner households. The resultant impact on travel behavior, however, remains largely unexplored. In this study, we use the 2012–13 California Household Travel Survey to compare daily (weekday) travel behavior of adult men and women belonging to dual-earner heterosexual couple households without children, with their adult counterparts in dual-earner heterosexual nuclear households with one or more young (aged 15 years or less) children living in urban California. We find that the presence of young children is, on average, associated with relatively higher auto use, and lower levels of physically active travel (i.e., walking and bicycling) and public transit use. Specifically, parents of school-age (6–15 years) children, without other small (5 years or less) children, are found to engage in significantly more auto use than childless couples. The likelihood of engaging in 20 min or more of active travel per day falls as couples transition to parenthood, and drops further as small children turn school-age. The likelihood of making at least one transit trip per day follows a similar pattern. We also find that the negative impact of young children on average, and school-age children in particular, on adults’ active travel is significantly greater for men than women. Additionally, we identify factors that can help reduce gender inequality in auto use and active travel within households with one or more young children. This study enhances our understanding of travel behavior variations across household types in cities, and over the life courses of individuals. Planning and policy implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Chakrabarti, Sandip & Joh, Kenneth, 2019. "The effect of parenthood on travel behavior: Evidence from the California Household Travel Survey," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 101-115.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:120:y:2019:i:c:p:101-115
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2018.12.022
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856418305172
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tra.2018.12.022?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Müggenburg, Hannah & Busch-Geertsema, Annika & Lanzendorf, Martin, 2015. "Mobility biographies: A review of achievements and challenges of the mobility biographies approach and a framework for further research," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 151-163.
    2. Reid Ewing & Robert Cervero, 2010. "Travel and the Built Environment," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 76(3), pages 265-294.
    3. Hans‐Peter Kohler & Jere R. Behrman & Axel Skytthe, 2005. "Partner + Children = Happiness? The Effects of Partnerships and Fertility on Well‐Being," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 31(3), pages 407-445, September.
    4. Barrow, Lisa, 2002. "School choice through relocation: evidence from the Washington, D.C. area," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 155-189, November.
    5. A. Colin Cameron & Douglas L. Miller, 2015. "A Practitioner’s Guide to Cluster-Robust Inference," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 50(2), pages 317-372.
    6. Sonya Britt & R. Roy, 2014. "Relationship Quality Among Young Couples from an Economic and Gender Perspective," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 241-250, June.
    7. Jud, G. Donald, 1983. "School quality and intra-metropolitan mobility: A further test of the tiebout hypothesis," Journal of Behavioral Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 37-55.
    8. Chatman, Daniel G., 2008. "Deconstructing development density: Quality, quantity and price effects on household non-work travel," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 42(7), pages 1008-1030, August.
    9. Bernardo, Christina & Paleti, Rajesh & Hoklas, Megan & Bhat, Chandra, 2015. "An empirical investigation into the time-use and activity patterns of dual-earner couples with and without young children," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 71-91.
    10. Janice Fanning Madden, 1981. "Why Women Work Closer to Home," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 18(2), pages 181-194, June.
    11. Eric Morris & Erick Guerra, 2015. "Mood and mode: does how we travel affect how we feel?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 25-43, January.
    12. Crane, Randall, 2007. "Is There a Quiet Revolution in Women's Travel? Revisiting the Gender Gap in Commuting," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt8nj9n8nb, University of California Transportation Center.
    13. Kroesen, Maarten, 2015. "Do partners influence each other’s travel patterns? A new approach to study the role of social norms," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 489-505.
    14. Spears, Steven & Houston, Douglas & Boarnet, Marlon G., 2013. "Illuminating the unseen in transit use: A framework for examining the effect of attitudes and perceptions on travel behavior," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 40-53.
    15. Benjamin Motte-Baumvol & Olivier Bonin & Leslie Belton-Chevallier, 2017. "Who escort children: mum or dad? Exploring gender differences in escorting mobility among parisian dual-earner couples," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 139-157, January.
    16. Lo, A. W.-T. & Houston, D., 2018. "How do compact, accessible, and walkable communities promote gender equality in spatial behavior?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 42-54.
    17. Scheiner, Joachim, 2014. "Gendered key events in the life course: effects on changes in travel mode choice over time," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 47-60.
    18. Schirmer, Patrick & van Eggermond, Michael & Axhausen, Kay, 2014. "The role of location in residential location choice models: a review of literature," The Journal of Transport and Land Use, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, vol. 7(2), pages 3-21.
    19. Clewlow, Regina R., 2016. "Carsharing and sustainable travel behavior: Results from the San Francisco Bay Area," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 158-164.
    20. Yingling Fan, 2017. "Household structure and gender differences in travel time: spouse/partner presence, parenthood, and breadwinner status," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 271-291, March.
    21. Thomas Hansen & Britt Slagsvold & Torbjørn Moum, 2009. "Childlessness and Psychological Well-Being in Midlife and Old Age: An Examination of Parental Status Effects Across a Range of Outcomes," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 94(2), pages 343-362, November.
    22. Jesper Rözer & Anne-Rigt Poortman & Gerald Mollenhorst, 2017. "The timing of parenthood and its effect on social contact and support," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(62), pages 1889-1916.
    23. Mette Deding & Mette Lausten, 2011. "Gendered Time-Crunch and Work Factors in Denmark," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 101(2), pages 249-253, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hu, Yang & van Wee, Bert & Ettema, Dick, 2023. "Intra-household decisions and the impact of the built environment on activity-travel behavior: A review of the literature," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    2. Lingqian Hu, 2021. "Gender differences in commuting travel in the U.S.: interactive effects of race/ethnicity and household structure," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 909-929, April.
    3. Rennert, Lindiwe, 2022. "A meta-analysis of the impact of rail stations on property values: Applying a transit planning lens," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 165-180.
    4. Wang, Donggen & Yang, Min, 2023. "Gendered mobility and activity pattern: implications for gendered mental health," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    5. Chaoying Yin & Xiaoquan Wang & Chunfu Shao & Jianxiao Ma, 2022. "Exploring the Relationship between Built Environment and Commuting Mode Choice: Longitudinal Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-15, October.
    6. Rith, Monorom & Fillone, Alexis M. & Biona, Jose Bienvenido Manuel M., 2020. "Energy and environmental benefits and policy implications for private passenger vehicles in an emerging metropolis of Southeast Asia – A case study of Metro Manila," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    7. Katarzyna Nosal Hoy & Sabina Puławska-Obiedowska, 2021. "The Travel Behaviour of Polish Women and Adaptation of Transport Systems to Their Needs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-27, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xu, JieLan, 2020. "Generational trends of gendered mobility: How do they interact with geographical contexts?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    2. Isabelle Wachter & Christian Holz-Rau, 2022. "Gender differences in work-related high mobility differentiated by partnership and parenthood status," Transportation, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 1737-1764, December.
    3. Mitra, Suman & Yao, Mingqi & Ritchie, Stephen G., 2021. "Gender differences in elderly mobility in the United States," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 203-226.
    4. Van Acker, Véronique & Mulley, Corinne & Ho, Loan, 2019. "Impact of childhood experiences on public transport travel behaviour," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 783-798.
    5. Scheiner, Joachim, 2020. "Changes in travel mode use over the life course with partner interactions in couple households," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 791-807.
    6. Douglas Houston & Marlon G Boarnet & Gavin Ferguson & Steven Spears, 2015. "Can compact rail transit corridors transform the automobile city? Planning for more sustainable travel in Los Angeles," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(5), pages 938-959, April.
    7. Hu, Yang & van Wee, Bert & Ettema, Dick, 2023. "Intra-household decisions and the impact of the built environment on activity-travel behavior: A review of the literature," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    8. Cecilia Olivieri & Xavier Fageda, 2019. "Determinants of urban mobility with a focus on gender: a multilevel analysis in the Metropolitan Area of Montevideo, Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0419, Department of Economics - dECON.
    9. Craig, Lyn & van Tienoven, Theun Pieter, 2019. "Gender, mobility and parental shares of daily travel with and for children: a cross-national time use comparison," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 93-102.
    10. Van Acker, Veronique & Ho, Loan & Stevens, Larissa & Mulley, Corinne, 2020. "Quantifying the effects of childhood and previous residential experiences on the use of public transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    11. Steven Spears & Marlon G Boarnet & Douglas Houston, 2017. "Driving reduction after the introduction of light rail transit: Evidence from an experimental-control group evaluation of the Los Angeles Expo Line," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(12), pages 2780-2799, September.
    12. Jordy Meekes & Wolter H. J. Hassink, 2023. "Endogenous local labour markets, regional aggregation and agglomeration economies," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(1), pages 13-25, January.
    13. Ahlfeldt, Gabriel M. & Pietrostefani, Elisabetta, 2019. "The economic effects of density: A synthesis," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 93-107.
    14. Ingvardson, Jesper Bláfoss & Nielsen, Otto Anker, 2019. "The relationship between norms, satisfaction and public transport use: A comparison across six European cities using structural equation modelling," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 37-57.
    15. Bereitschaft, Bradley, 2020. "Gentrification and the evolution of commuting behavior within America's urban cores, 2000–2015," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    16. Lo, A. W.-T. & Houston, D., 2018. "How do compact, accessible, and walkable communities promote gender equality in spatial behavior?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 42-54.
    17. Wang, Fenglong & Mao, Zidan & Wang, Donggen, 2020. "Residential relocation and travel satisfaction change: An empirical study in Beijing, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 341-353.
    18. Wenjia Zhang, 2016. "Does compact land use trigger a rise in crime and a fall in ridership? A role for crime in the land use–travel connection," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(14), pages 3007-3026, November.
    19. Arefeh Nasri & Lei Zhang, 2019. "How Urban Form Characteristics at Both Trip Ends Influence Mode Choice: Evidence from TOD vs. Non-TOD Zones of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, June.
    20. Sharmin, Samia & Kamruzzaman, Md. & Haque, Md Mazharul, 2020. "The impact of topological properties of built environment on children independent mobility: A comparative study between discretionary vs. nondiscretionary trips in Dhaka," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:120:y:2019:i:c:p:101-115. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/547/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.