Integrating activity-based travel-demand models with land-use and other long-term lifestyle decisions

Abstract

This paper extends and integrates the general activity-based model framework to present the complex relationship between long-term individual decisions, such as residential location, and daily activity and travel-behavior decisions. More specifically, it demonstrates the use of an activity-based accessibility (ABA) measure as an important variable in residential zone choice, thus serving as the link between short-term activity and travel decisions and long-term residential choice decisions. We develop a partial activity-based model accounting for the interrelationship of the main activity type, travel destination and mode choice. The log-sum at the top of the hierarchy of this model is the ABA measure capturing the overall utility of all travel alternatives. The results show that this measure is a highly significant variable in the residential-choice model, clearly indicating the great influence of activity accessibility, short-term opportunities, and travel decisions on residential area choice. All other log-sums were also significant, showing the interrelationships of all choices. Specifically, the destination-choice log-sum in the main activity-choice model demonstrates that as accessibility increases, people are more likely to participate in out-of-home activities.