A model for work activity schedules with synchronization for multiple-worker households

This paper presents a hybrid discrete choice-duration model for work activity scheduling with interactions between workers in a multiple-worker household. The model operates in discrete space with a fine level of temporal resolution. The key innovative feature of the model is the introduction of intra-household interactions through worker schedule synchronization mechanisms. The model was estimated based on a large Household Travel Survey from the San Francisco Bay Area. The estimation results confirmed that individual work schedules for workers in a multiple-worker household are subject to strong synchronization and should be modelled jointly rather than independently. In particular, workers in the same household tend to align their schedules and create time window overlaps for joint activities before and after work. Relative strength of the synchronization mechanisms proved to be a function of the person characteristics and household composition.