Examining the impact of household interactions when modelling travel duration

Abstract

From an international research perspective, an activity-based view on transportation has become standard today. Instead of modelling travel demand separately, the major idea behind these activity-based models is that travel demand is derived from the activities that individuals and households need or wish to perform (Jones, et al., 1983). In a modern society, mobility is considered to be vital for a human's development: it is not only regarded as one of the factors behind economic growth, but also as a social need that o®ers people the opportunity for self-ful¯llment and relaxation (Ministry of Transport and Public Works, 2004). In the light of activity-based models, this seems a logical consideration. Travel patterns are regarded as the manifestation of the implementation of activity programs over time and space. In turn, activity patterns emerge as the interplay between the institutional context, the urban/physical environment, the transportation system and individuals' and households' needs to realize particular goals in life and to pursue activities (Ben-Akiva and Bowman, 1998). The aim of these models is to predict which activities will be conducted where, when, for how long, with whom and with which transport mode and as a consequence, they require a huge amount of data to do so.