Exploring the Positive Utility of Travel and Mode Choice
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Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Summer 7-12-2017 Exploring the Positive Utility of Travel and Mode Choice Patrick Allen Singleton Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Transportation Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Singleton, Patrick Allen, "Exploring the Positive Utility of Travel and Mode Choice" (2017). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 3780. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5664 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Exploring the Positive Utility of Travel and Mode Choice by Patrick Allen Singleton A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering Dissertation Committee: Kelly J. Clifton, Chair Jennifer Dill Liming Wang Cynthia D. Mohr Portland State University 2017 © 2017 Patrick Allen Singleton Abstract Why do people travel? Underlying most travel behavior research is the derived- demand paradigm of travel analysis, which assumes that travel demand is derived from the demand for spatially separated activities, traveling is a means to an end (reaching destinations), and travel time is a disutility to be minimized. In contrast, the “positive utility of travel” (PUT) concept suggests that travel may not be inherently disliked and could instead provide benefits or be motivated by desires for travel-based multitasking, positive emotions, or fulfillment. The PUT idea assembles several concepts relevant to travel behavior: utility maximization, motivation theory, multitasking, and subjective well-being. Despite these varied influences, empirical analyses of the PUT concept remain limited in both quantity and scope. There is a need for more fundamental development and classification of the PUT idea and its multifaceted nature. The wide variety and quality of ways to measure PUT attributes are further research challenges. Additionally, few studies investigate both major aspects of the PUT concept—travel activities and travel experiences—simultaneously. Finally, research is only beginning to examine empirical associations between PUT measures and travel behaviors such as mode choice. This dissertation addresses many of these gaps in conceptualizing, measuring, and modeling the PUT concept. First, a literature review strengthens the definition, classification, and empirical support for a PUT, defined as “any benefit(s) accruing to a traveler through the act of traveling.” The two primary PUT categories are travel activities (travel-based multitasking) and travel experiences (travel subjective well-being), and the most useful PUT measures involve gathering self-reported assessments of these topics. Based on this i review, an online questionnaire is designed and administered to nearly 700 commuters in the Portland, OR, region. The survey includes detailed questions about commute mode choice, activity participation, travel usefulness, positive emotions and fulfillment, and travel liking for a recent home-to-work trip. Next, these PUT measures are empirically examined using factor analyses, finding groupings of activities and common unobserved constructs of hedonic (“Distress,” “Fear,” “Attentiveness,” “Enjoyment”) and eudaimonic (“Security,” “Autonomy,” “Confidence”, “Health”) subjective well-being. Many of these factors exhibit large variations among travel modes—walking and bicycling commuters are the most satisfied and appear to value time spent exercising—and are predicted (somewhat less strongly) by other trip and traveler characteristics in ordered logit regression and structural equation models. Finally, integrated choice and latent variable models are estimated to examine relationships between measures of the PUT concept and commute mode choice. This is made possible by the unique dataset that collects PUT measures for not only the chosen mode but also modal alternatives. Measures of travel-based multitasking are significantly related to mode choice, suggesting people may be doing things more to pass the time than to be productive. A validated measure of travel subjective well-being is also a significant and positive factor, suggesting people are more likely to choose a mode that makes them happier. Overall, PUT measures greatly increase the explanatory power of the mode choice model. These findings make significant contributions to travel behavior research methods and knowledge. They also offer important implications for transportation policies around promoting nonautomobile travel and planning for autonomous vehicles. ii Acknowledgments This research was supported by a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), a program of the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University (PSU). Financial support for my doctoral studies and research was also made possible by several graduate fellowships from the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program, part of the Office of Innovative Program Delivery (OIPD) at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Thanks are due to the many individuals who assisted in the data collection effort. From the dozens of people who provided feedback on earlier versions of the questionnaire to the hundreds of people who spent upwards of an hour of their time answering detailed questions about a recent commute trip, these respondents’ participation fundamentally made this research possible. Staff at the Portland region’s transportation management associations and other organizations greatly assisted in the administration of this survey by forwarding email invitations, posting information in newsletters and on websites, and otherwise helping to reach the target audience of commuting workers. Special thanks go to Scott Cohen of the Portland Bureau of Transportation for providing access to the SmartTrips email list, which alone generated hundreds of responses. Regarding this manuscript, Susan Abe’s copy editing of Chapter 5 significantly improved not only that chapter but the rest of the document as well. The literature review of Chapter 2 also greatly benefited from Patricia Mokhtarian’s critical conceptual perspectives and constructive comments. In fact, her groundbreaking work on the positive iii utility of travel concept (and many other areas of travel behavior research) directly inspired this dissertation and continues to inspire its extensions. The faculty and programs at PSU provided an excellent environment for doing dissertation research and completing a PhD in transportation. Foremost, I am indebted to Kelly Clifton, my advisor of six years, for teaching me how to do research, write technical papers, think critically, and otherwise survive in academia. The intellectual freedom and encouragement she provided to pursue a more theoretical topic not related to a currently funded research project was crucial. Other dissertation committee members also supplied key contributions: Liming Wang offered valuable methodological suggestions; Cynthia Mohr supported an engineering student’s dabble in psychology; and Jennifer Dill always encouraged attention to the social and practical implications of technical research. Other current and former Portland State faculty also made this a wonderful place to go to school. Notably, Jason Newsom’s series of courses on data analysis methods—including structural equation modeling—were among the best I have ever taken. His clear, concise, yet intuitive expositions of technical statistical concepts offer a goal to which to aspire. Fellow PSU transportation students contributed substantially to the worth and pleasure of a PhD. The camaraderie I experienced in classes and as a member of Students in Transportation Engineering and Planning (STEP) was a valuable part of early graduate school. More recently, the convening of the PhT (PhD Students in Transportation) group for drinks and discussion, including intellectually stimulating conversations with Joe Broach and others, provided a frequent and necessary boost of energy. My cubicle colleagues, including Kristi Currans, Alex Bigazzi, and Jaime Orrego, were always there to offer their expertise, advice, and daily cheer. In particular, Steve Gehrke has been a iv strong source of support and friendship ever since we first met while both visiting PSU in 2011. I am grateful to him for always being there to discuss ideas, to help solve analysis problems, to share advice on other aspects of work and of life, and to navigate our way along the challenging PhD trail together. Finally, this dissertation was only possible because of the constant support of friends and family everywhere but especially in Portland. Watching friends from undergrad succeed in their PhD endeavors provided the motivation to persevere through my own. My parents and relatives not only shared their love, encouragement, and many home-cooked meals, but also helped me practice explaining technical concepts to a lay audience. Last, but most, I thank my wife Jen Kirk for her strong and unwavering love, support, and enthusiasm. It was during our “staycation” at McMenamins Grand Lodge in November 2014 that I first settled on studying the positive utility of travel