Destination Choice in Daily Activity Travel: Mental Map's Repertoire
Abstract
To improve the behavioral realism of activity-based travel demand models, a deeper understanding of an individual's travel decision process is needed. This research project aims at revealing the variety of critical spatial factors in an individual's mental map that influence daily activity travel (AT) behavior. A qualitative travel survey and in-depth interviews are used to identify spatial factors that appear in respondents’ destination choice decisions when discussing their daily activity space. Recorded interviews are processed with specialized software for qualitative data analysis (ATLAS.ti). First, representative if-then(-else) heuristics used by respondents are identified and classified. In addition, occurring spatial elements are indicated. To conclude, a new “script” approach used to grasp the behavioral mechanisms present in daily AT decisions is suggested. Further research along this line will increase comprehension of the impact of travel demand measures and improve their assessment in activity-based travel demand models.
Get full access to this article
View all access and purchase options for this article.
References
1. Ewing R., and Cervero R. Travel and the Built Environment: A Synthesis. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No 1780, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2001, pp. 87–114.
2. Stead D., and Marshall S. The Relationship Between Urban Form and Travel Patterns: An International Review and Evaluation. European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2001, pp. 113–141.
3. Timmermans H. J. P., Van der Waerden P., Alves M., Polak J. W., Ellis S., Harvey A. S., Kurose S., and Zandee R. Spatial Context and the Complexity of Daily Travel Patterns: an International Comparison. Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. 11, 2003, pp. 37–46.
4. Cervero R. Transit-Oriented Development in America: Contemporary Practices, Impacts, and Policy Directions. Presented at International Planning Symposium on Incentives, Regulations, and Plans: The Role of States and Nation–States in Smart Growth Planning. Annapolis, Md., 2004.
5. World Carfree Network. www.worldcarfree.net/. Accessed March 21, 2007.
6. Weston L., and Handy S. Mental Maps. In Handbook of Transport Geography and Spatial Systems, Volume 5 (Hensher D. A., Button K. J., Haynes K. J., and Stopher P. R., eds.), Elsevier, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2004, pp. 533–545.
7. Golledge R. G., and Gärling T. Cognitive Maps and Urban Travel. In Handbook of Transport Geography and Spatial Systems, Volume 5 (Hensher D. A., Button K. J., Haynes K. J. and Stopher P. R., eds.), Elsevier, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2004, pp. 501–512.
8. Golledge R. G., and Timmermans H. J. P. Applications of Behavioural Research on Spatial Problems I: Cognition. Progress in Human Geography, Vol. 42, No. 3, 1990, pp. 57–99.
9. Enaux C., and Ramadier T. Éclairer la Mobilité Quotidienne par des Dimensions Qualitatives: Exemple d'une Collaboration Géographie/Psychologie (Explaining Daily Mobility by Qualitative Dimensions: Example of a Geographic/Psychologic Collaboration). Presented at the Colloque MSFS: Approches Quantitatives et Qualitatives des Mobilités: Quelles Complémentarités? Namur, Belgium, 2007.
10. Mondschein A., Blumenberg E., and Taylor B. D. Cognitive Mapping, Travel Behaviour, and Access to Opportunity. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1985, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2006, pp. 266–272.
11. McCray T. M., Lee-Gosselin M.E. H., and Kwan M. P. Measuring Activity and Action Space/Time: Are Our Methods Keeping Pace with Evolving Behaviour Patterns? In Integrated Land-Use and Transportation Models: Behavioural Foundations (Lee-Gosselin M.E. H. and Doherty S. T., eds.), Elsevier, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2005, pp. 87–100.
12. Zhang L., and Levinson D. Agent-Based Approach to Travel Demand Modelling: Exploratory Analysis. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1898, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2004, pp. 28–36.
13. Arentze T. A., and Timmermans H. J. P. Albatross: A Learning-Based Transportation Oriented Simulation System. European Institute of Retailing and Services Studies, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 2000.
14. Salvini P., and Miller E. J. ILUTE: An Operational Prototype of a Comprehensive Microsimulation Model of Urban Systems. Networks and Spatial Economics, Vol. 5, 2005, pp. 217–234.
15. Arentze T. A., and Timmermans H. J. P. Representing Mental Maps and Cognitive Learning in Micro-Simulation Models of Activity-Travel Choice Dynamics. Proc., 10th International Conference on Travel Behaviour Research: Moving through Nets: The Physical and Social Dimensions of Travel. Lucerne, Switzerland, 2003.
16. Sivakumar A., and Bhat C. A Comprehensive, Unified Framework for Analyzing Spatial Location Choice. Presented at Association for European Transport and Contributors, Strasbourg, France, 2006.
17. Arentze T. A., Hofman F., Kalfs N., and Timmermans H. J. P. Data Needs, Data Collection and Data Quality Requirements of Activity-Based Transport Models. Proc., International Conference on Transport Survey Quality and Innovation (Transport Surveys: Riding the Standard), Grainau, Germany, 1997, pp. 1–35.
18. Buliung R. N. Activity/Travel Behaviour Research: Approaches and Findings with Identification of Research Themes and Emerging Methods (CSpA WP 008). Centre for Spatial Analysis, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 2005.
19. Vause M. A Rule-Based Model of Activity Scheduling Behaviour. In Activity-Based Approaches to Travel-Analysis (Ettema D. F. and Timmermans H. J. P., eds.), Pergamon Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, 1997, pp. 73–88.
20. Bradley M. A., and Bowman J. L. A Summary of Design Features of Activity-Based Microsimulation Models for U.S. MPOs. Presented at TRB Conference on Innovations in Travel Demand Modeling, Austin, Tex., 2006.
21. Janssens D., and Wets G. The Presentation of an Activity-Based Approach for Surveying and Modelling Travel Behaviour. Proc., 32nd Colloquium Vervoersplanologisch Speurwerk: Duurzame mobiliteit, “Hot or Not?” Antwerp, Belgium, 2005, pp. 1935–1954.
22. Van Someren M. W., Barnard Y. F., and Sandberg J. A. C. The Think Aloud Method. A Practical Guide to Model Cognitive Processes. Academic Press, London, 1994.
23. Hayes-Roth B., and Hayes-Roth F. A Cognitive Model of Planning. Cognitive Science, Vol. 3, 1979, pp. 275–310.
24. Hannes E., Janssens D., and Wets G. Does Space Matter? Travel Mode Scripts in Daily Activity Travel. Environment and Behavior (forthcoming).
25. Bhat C. R., and Lawton T. K. Passenger Travel Demand Forecasting. In Transportation in the New Millennium: State of the Art and Future Directions, Perspectives from Transportation Research Board Standing Committees. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2000.
26. Trost J. Statistically Non-Representative Stratified Sampling: A Sampling Technique for Qualitative Studies. Qualitative Sociology, Vol. 9, 1986, pp. 54–57.
27. Mehndiratta S. R., Picado R., and Venter C. A Qualitative Survey Technique to Explore Decision Making Behaviour in New Contexts. In Transport Survey Quality and Innovation (Stopher P. and Jones P., eds.), Pergamon Press and Elsevier, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2003, pp. 303–317.
28. Gardner B., and Abraham C. What Drives Car Use? A Grounded Theory Analysis of Commuters’ Reasons for Driving. Transportation Research Part F, Vol. 10, 2007, pp. 187–200.
29. Beirão G., and Sarsfield Cabral J.A. Understanding Attitudes Towards Public Transport and Private Car: A Qualitative Study. Transport Policy, Vol. 14, No. 6, 2007, pp. 478–489.
30. Seale C. The Quality of Qualitative Research. Sage, London, 1999.
31. Glaser B. G., and Strauss A. L. The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Aldine, Chicago, 1967.
32. Miles M. B., and Huberman A. M. Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. Sage, London, 1994.
33. Lemp J. D., McWethy L. B., and Kockelman K. M. From Aggregate Methods to Microsimulation: Assessing the Benefits of Microscopic Activity-Based Models of Travel Demand. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1994, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2007, pp. 80–88.
34. Dijst M., and Vidakovic V. Travel Time Ratio: The Key Factor of Spatial Reach. Transportation, Vol. 27, 2000, pp. 179–199.
35. Chen C., and Mokhtarian P. L. Tradeoffs Between Time Allocations to Maintenance Activities/Travel and Discretionary Activities/Travel. Transportation, Vol. 33, 2006, pp. 223–240.
36. Gärling T., and Axhausen K. Habitual Travel Choice. Transportation, Vol. 30, 2003, pp. 1–11.
37. Lynch K. The Image of the City. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1960.
38. Zondag B., and Pieters M. Influence of Accessibility on Residential Location Choice. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1902, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2005, pp. 63–70.
Cite article
Cite article
Cite article
OR
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Article first published online: January 1, 2008
Issue published: January 2008
Authors
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Journals metrics
This article was published in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.
VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICSArticle usage*
Total views and downloads: 101
*Article usage tracking started in December 2016
Altmetric
See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores
Articles citing this one
Receive email alerts when this article is cited
Web of Science: 0
Crossref: 13
- Location of Coworking Spaces (CWSs) Regarding Vicinity, Land Use and P...
- A framework for estimating crime location choice based on awareness sp...
- What construct one’s familiar area? A quantitative and longitudinal st...
- Weighting the Effects of Spatial Cognition and Activity Anchors on Tim...
- A CATREG model of destination choice for a mature Island destination
- Revisiting the route choice problem: A modeling framework based on men...
- Activity Space of Older and Working-Age Adults in the Puget Sound Regi...
- Annotating mobile phone location data with activity purposes using mac...
- Tracking household routines using scheduling hypothesis embedded in sk...
- Mental maps and travel behaviour: meanings and models
- An interactive computer-based interface to support the discovery of in...
- Scrutinizing individuals’ leisure-shopping travel decisions to apprais...
- Determinants of Stated and Revealed Mental Map Quality: An Empirical S...
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
Get access
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
loading institutional access options
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.
