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Accessibility and the Allocation of Time: Changes in Travel Behavior 1990-2010

Author

Listed:
  • Martin P. Brosnan
  • David Levinson

    (Nexus (Networks, Economics, and Urban Systems) Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota)

Abstract

Using detailed travel surveys conducted by the Metropolitan Council of the Minneapolis/St Paul (Twin Cities) Region in Minnesota for 1990, 2000-2001, and 2010-2011, this paper conducts a detailed analysis of journey-to-work times, activity allocation and accessibility. This study corroborates previous studies showing that accessibility is a significant factor in commute durations. Adjusting land use patterns to increase the number of workers in job-rich areas and the number of jobs in labor-rich areas is a reliable way of reducing auto commute durations. The finding that accessibility and commute duration have a large affect on the amount of time spent at work shows that activity patterns are influenced by transportation and the urban environment in very impactful ways. The descriptive results of this analysis show a measurable decline in the time people spend outside of their homes as well as the amount of time people spend in travel over the past decade. Although trip distances per trip are not getting any shorter, the willingness to make those trip is declining, and as a result fewer kilometers are being traveled and less time on average is being allocated to travel.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin P. Brosnan & David Levinson, 2014. "Accessibility and the Allocation of Time: Changes in Travel Behavior 1990-2010," Working Papers 000120, University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group.
    • Handle: RePEc:nex:wpaper:accessibilityandtheallocationoftime
    as

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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11299/180061
    File Function: First version, 2014
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Accessibility; Transport Geography; Travel Behavior; Networks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General

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    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

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