Where do cyclists ride? A route choice model developed with revealed preference GPS data

To better understand bicyclists’ preferences for facility types, GPS units were used to observe the behavior of 164 cyclists in Portland, Oregon, USA for several days each. Trip purpose and several other trip-level variables recorded by the cyclists, and the resulting trips were coded to a highly detailed bicycle network. The authors used the 1449 non-exercise, utilitarian trips to estimate a bicycle route choice model. The model used a choice set generation algorithm based on multiple permutations of path attributes and was formulated to account for overlapping route alternatives. The findings suggest that cyclists are sensitive to the effects of distance, turn frequency, slope, intersection control (e.g. presence or absence of traffic signals), and traffic volumes. In addition, cyclists appear to place relatively high value on off-street bike paths, enhanced neighborhood bikeways with traffic calming features (aka “bicycle boulevards”), and bridge facilities. Bike lanes more or less exactly offset the negative effects of adjacent traffic, but were no more or less attractive than a basic low traffic volume street. Finally, route preferences differ between commute and other utilitarian trips; cyclists were more sensitive to distance and less sensitive to other infrastructure characteristics for commute trips.     

A model of joint activity participation between household members

A proportional shares model of daily time allocation is developed and applied to the analysis of joint activity participation between adult household members. The model is unique in its simultaneous representation of each decision maker's decisions concerning independent activity participation, allocation of time to joint activities, and the interplay between individual and joint activities. Further, the model structure ensures that predicted shares of joint activity outcomes be the same for both decision makers, an improvement over models that do not make interpersonal linkages explicit. The empirical analysis of travel diary data shows that employment commitments and childcare responsibilities have significant effects on tradeoffs between joint and independent activities. In addition, evidence is presented for the continued relevance of gender-based role differences in caring for children and employment participation.