IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transa/v145y2021icp49-62.html

Revisiting the impacts of virtual mobility on travel behavior: An exploration of daily travel time expenditures

Author

Listed:
  • Ozbilen, Basar
  • Wang, Kailai
  • Akar, Gulsah

Abstract

There has been a growing interest in the association between online activities and daily activity-travel patterns. An analysis of this relationship is even more crucial considering the major disruptions to out-of-home activity participation and travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributes to the literature by exploring the relationships between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use (focusing on telework and online shopping) and time spent traveling using different transportation modes. Using Tobit regression models, we investigate the impacts of ICT use on three travel alternatives: (1) automobile, (2) public transit, and (3) active travel. The results show that the effects of ICT use vary across these three travel modes. For example, all else being equal, respondents with higher durations of telework tend to spend less time on auto and transit. Respondents with higher durations of online shopping spend more time walking and bicycling. This study also explores whether the effects of ICT use on travel durations vary across groups with different socio-demographics and residential location characteristics. For instance, the study finds the greater the level of land-use mixture, the stronger the association between online shopping and time spent bicycling and walking. The research findings can inform planners and decision-makers on the relationships between ICT use and overall travel behavior in order to assess travel demand under different levels of ICT use.

Suggested Citation

  • Ozbilen, Basar & Wang, Kailai & Akar, Gulsah, 2021. "Revisiting the impacts of virtual mobility on travel behavior: An exploration of daily travel time expenditures," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 49-62.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:145:y:2021:i:c:p:49-62
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2021.01.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856421000021
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tra.2021.01.002?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Konrad, Kathrin & Wittowsky, Dirk, 2018. "Virtual mobility and travel behavior of young people – Connections of two dimensions of mobility," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 11-17.
    2. Line, Tilly & Jain, Juliet & Lyons, Glenn, 2011. "The role of ICTs in everyday mobile lives," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 1490-1499.
    3. Ben-Elia, Eran & Alexander, Bayarma & Hubers, Christa & Ettema, Dick, 2014. "Activity fragmentation, ICT and travel: An exploratory Path Analysis of spatiotemporal interrelationships," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 56-74.
    4. Gulsah Akar & Kelly Clifton & Sean Doherty, 2011. "Discretionary activity location choice: in-home or out-of-home?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 101-122, January.
    5. 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.
    6. Han Dong & Cinzia Cirillo & Marco Diana, 2018. "Activity involvement and time spent on computers for leisure: an econometric analysis on the American Time Use Survey dataset," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 429-449, March.
    7. Lee-Gosselin, Martin & Miranda-Moreno, Luis F., 2009. "What is different about urban activities of those with access to ICTs? Some early evidence from Québec, Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 104-114.
    8. Venu M. Garikapati & Ram M. Pendyala & Eric A. Morris & Patricia L. Mokhtarian & Noreen McDonald, 2016. "Activity patterns, time use, and travel of millennials: a generation in transition?," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(5), pages 558-584, September.
    9. Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Handy, Susan L. & Salomon, Ilan, 1995. "Methodological issues in the estimation of the travel, energy, and air quality impacts of telecommuting," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 283-302, July.
    10. Dingel, Jonathan I. & Neiman, Brent, 2020. "How many jobs can be done at home?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    11. Yu-Hsin Tsai, 2009. "Impacts of self-selection and transit proximity on commute mode choice: evidence from Taipei rapid transit system," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 43(4), pages 1073-1094, December.
    12. Shin, Eun Jin, 2019. "Self-employment and travel behavior: A case study of workers in central Puget Sound," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 101-112.
    13. Hjorthol, Randi & Gripsrud, Mattias, 2009. "Home as a communication hub: the domestic use of ICT," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 115-123.
    14. Sendy Farag & Jesse Weltevreden & Ton van Rietbergen & Martin Dijst & Frank van Oort, 2006. "E-Shopping in the Netherlands: Does Geography Matter?," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 33(1), pages 59-74, February.
    15. Pengyu Zhu & Liping Wang & Yanpeng Jiang & Jiangping Zhou, 2018. "Metropolitan size and the impacts of telecommuting on personal travel," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 385-414, March.
    16. Bhat, Chandra R. & Sivakumar, Aruna & Axhausen, Kay W., 2003. "An analysis of the impact of information and communication technologies on non-maintenance shopping activities," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 857-881, December.
    17. Pengyu Zhu, 2012. "Are telecommuting and personal travel complements or substitutes?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 48(2), pages 619-639, April.
    18. Palvinder Singh & Rajesh Paleti & Syndney Jenkins & Chandra Bhat, 2013. "On modeling telecommuting behavior: option, choice, and frequency," Transportation, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 373-396, February.
    19. Chandra Bhat & Frank Koppelman, 1999. "A retrospective and prospective survey of time-use research," Transportation, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 119-139, May.
    20. Sangho Choo & Patricia Mokhtarian & Ilan Salomon, 2005. "Does telecommuting reduce vehicle-miles traveled? An aggregate time series analysis for the U.S," Transportation, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 37-64, January.
    21. Jasper Grashuis & Theodoros Skevas & Michelle S. Segovia, 2020. "Grocery Shopping Preferences during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-10, July.
    22. Kitamura, Ryuichi & Fujii, Satoshi & Pas, Eric I., 1997. "Time-use data, analysis and modeling: toward the next generation of transportation planning methodologies," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 225-235, October.
    23. Gould, Jane & Golob, Thomas F., 1998. "Will Electronic Home Shopping Reduce Travel?," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt2sq3k3zg, University of California Transportation Center.
    24. Angel Belzunegui-Eraso & Amaya Erro-Garcés, 2020. "Teleworking in the Context of the Covid-19 Crisis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, May.
    25. Ram Pendyala & Toshiyuki Yamamoto & Ryuichi Kitamura, 2002. "On the formulation of time-space prisms to model constraints on personal activity-travel engagement," Transportation, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 73-94, February.
    26. Esra Suel & John W. Polak, 2018. "Incorporating online shopping into travel demand modelling: challenges, progress, and opportunities," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(5), pages 576-601, September.
    27. Calderwood, Eric & Freathy, Paul, 2014. "Consumer mobility in the Scottish isles: The impact of internet adoption upon retail travel patterns," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 192-203.
    28. Martin Lee-Gosselin & Ron Buliung, 2012. "The role of ICTs in the transformation and the experience of travel," Transportation, Springer, vol. 39(5), pages 873-876, September.
    29. Lachapelle, Ugo & Burke, Matthew & Brotherton, Aiden & Leung, Abraham, 2018. "Parcel locker systems in a car dominant city: Location, characterisation and potential impacts on city planning and consumer travel access," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 1-14.
    30. Kim, Seung-Nam & Choo, Sangho & Mokhtarian, Patricia L., 2015. "Home-based telecommuting and intra-household interactions in work and non-work travel: A seemingly unrelated censored regression approach," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 197-214.
    31. Weltevreden, Jesse W.J. & Rotem-Mindali, Orit, 2009. "Mobility effects of b2c and c2c e-commerce in the Netherlands: a quantitative assessment," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 83-92.
    32. Choo, Sangho & Mokhtarian, Patricia L., 2007. "Telecommunications and travel demand and supply: Aggregate structural equation models for the US," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 4-18, January.
    33. Xinyu Cao & Zhiyi Xu & Frank Douma, 2012. "The interactions between e-shopping and traditional in-store shopping: an application of structural equations model," Transportation, Springer, vol. 39(5), pages 957-974, September.
    34. Shi, Kunbo & De Vos, Jonas & Yang, Yongchun & Witlox, Frank, 2019. "Does e-shopping replace shopping trips? Empirical evidence from Chengdu, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 21-33.
    35. Patricia L. Mokhtarian, 1998. "A Synthetic Approach to Estimating the Impacts of Telecommuting on Travel," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 35(2), pages 215-241, February.
    36. Patricia Mokhtarian & Ilan Salomon & Susan Handy, 2006. "The Impacts of Ict on leisure Activities and Travel: A Conceptual Exploration," Transportation, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 263-289, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Han Dong & Cinzia Cirillo & Marco Diana, 2018. "Activity involvement and time spent on computers for leisure: an econometric analysis on the American Time Use Survey dataset," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 429-449, March.
    2. Kong, Hui & Moody, Joanna & Zhao, Jinhua, 2020. "ICT’s impacts on ride-hailing use and individual travel," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 1-15.
    3. Melo, Patrícia C. & de Abreu e Silva, João, 2017. "Home telework and household commuting patterns in Great Britain," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 1-24.
    4. Li, Shengxiao (Alex), 2023. "Revisiting the relationship between information and communication technologies and travel behavior: An investigation of older Americans," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    5. Pengyu Zhu & Liping Wang & Yanpeng Jiang & Jiangping Zhou, 2018. "Metropolitan size and the impacts of telecommuting on personal travel," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 385-414, March.
    6. Kappler, Laísa Braga & de Abreu e Silva, João, 2025. "Telework frequency and travel behaviour during the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. A study across different Metropolitan Areas: Lisbon, Istanbul, and Porto Alegre," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    7. Bouzaghrane, Mohamed Amine & Obeid, Hassan & Villas-Boas, Sofia B. & Walker, Joan, 2024. "Influence of telecommuting on out-of-home time use and diversity of locations visited: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    8. Georges A. Tanguay & Ugo Lachapelle, 2019. "Potential Impacts of Telecommuting on Transportation Behaviours, Health and Hours Worked in Québec," CIRANO Project Reports 2019rp-07, CIRANO.
    9. Nicholas S. Caros & Jinhua Zhao, 2022. "Preparing urban mobility for the future of work," Papers 2201.01321, arXiv.org.
    10. Kunbo Shi & Long Cheng & Jonas De Vos & Yongchun Yang & Wanpeng Cao & Frank Witlox, 2021. "How does purchasing intangible services online influence the travel to consume these services? A focus on a Chinese context," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(5), pages 2605-2625, October.
    11. Harsh Shah & Andre L. Carrel & Huyen T. K. Le, 2024. "Impacts of teleworking and online shopping on travel: a tour-based analysis," Transportation, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 99-127, February.
    12. Khandker Nurul Habib & Ph. D. & PEng, 2020. "On the Factors Influencing the Choices of Weekly Telecommuting Frequencies of Post-secondary Students in Toronto," Papers 2004.04683, arXiv.org.
    13. Qi, Cong & Li, Shuang & Guo, Xiucheng, 2026. "Examining the causal effects of teleworking on mode-specific travel frequencies: A double machine learning analysis using panel data," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    14. Shi, Kunbo & De Vos, Jonas & Yang, Yongchun & Witlox, Frank, 2019. "Does e-shopping replace shopping trips? Empirical evidence from Chengdu, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 21-33.
    15. Minh Hieu Nguyen & Jimmy Armoogum & Binh Nguyen Thi, 2021. "Factors Affecting the Growth of E-Shopping over the COVID-19 Era in Hanoi, Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    16. Andrew Hook & Victor Court & Benjamin K Sovacool & Steven Sorrell, 2020. "A Systematic Review of the Energy and Climate Impacts of Teleworking," Working Papers hal-03192905, HAL.
    17. Shah, Harsh & Carrel, Andre L. & Le, Huyen T.K., 2021. "What is your shopping travel style? Heterogeneity in US households’ online shopping and travel," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 83-98.
    18. Pengyu Zhu, 2013. "Telecommuting, Household Commute and Location Choice," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(12), pages 2441-2459, September.
    19. Aguiléra, Anne & Guillot, Caroline & Rallet, Alain, 2012. "Mobile ICTs and physical mobility: Review and research agenda," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 664-672.
    20. Wang, Xinyi & Mokhtarian, Patricia L., 2024. "Examining the treatment effect of teleworking on vehicle-miles driven: Applying an ordered probit selection model and incorporating the role of travel stress," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:145:y:2021:i:c:p:49-62. 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.