Application of Historical Comprehensive Multimodal Transportation Data for Testing the Commuting Time Paradox: Evidence from the Portland, OR Region

There have been numerous theoretical and empirical transportation studies contesting the stability of commuting time over time. The constant commuting time hypothesis posits that people adjust trip durations, shift across modes, and sort through locations, so that their average commuting time remain...

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Main Authors: Huajie Yang, Jiali Lin, Jiahao Shi, Xiaobo Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/18/8369
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author Huajie Yang
Jiali Lin
Jiahao Shi
Xiaobo Ma
author_facet Huajie Yang
Jiali Lin
Jiahao Shi
Xiaobo Ma
author_sort Huajie Yang
collection DOAJ
description There have been numerous theoretical and empirical transportation studies contesting the stability of commuting time over time. The constant commuting time hypothesis posits that people adjust trip durations, shift across modes, and sort through locations, so that their average commuting time remains within a constant budget. There is a discrepancy between studies applying aggregate analysis and those using disaggregate analysis, and differences in data collection may have contributed to the varying conclusions reported in the literature. This study conducts both aggregate and disaggregate analyses with two travel surveys of the Portland region. We employ descriptive analysis and <i>t</i>-tests to compare the aggregate commuting times of two years and use regression models to explore factors affecting the disaggregate commuting time at the individual trip level to examine whether the stability of the commuting time remains after substantial changes in the transportation and land use systems. Our study indicates that the average commuting time, along with the average commuting distance, increased slightly, as the mode share shifted away from driving during the examined period. The growth in shares of non-driving modes, which are slower than driving, coupled with an increased travel distance, contributed to the small increase in the average commuting time. Our analysis also indicates that the average travel speed improved for transit riders as well as drivers, contradicting earlier research that claims that public transit investment has worsened the congestion in Portland.
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spelling doaj-art-ee9fa1d6d1944ea6902cddaffdf295112025-08-20T01:55:58ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172024-09-011418836910.3390/app14188369Application of Historical Comprehensive Multimodal Transportation Data for Testing the Commuting Time Paradox: Evidence from the Portland, OR RegionHuajie Yang0Jiali Lin1Jiahao Shi2Xiaobo Ma3Faculty of Innovation and Design, City University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, ChinaFaculty of Innovation and Design, City University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, ChinaFaculty of Innovation and Design, City University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, ChinaDepartment of Civil & Architectural Engineering & Mechanics, University of Arizona, 1209 E 2nd St, Tucson, AZ 85719, USAThere have been numerous theoretical and empirical transportation studies contesting the stability of commuting time over time. The constant commuting time hypothesis posits that people adjust trip durations, shift across modes, and sort through locations, so that their average commuting time remains within a constant budget. There is a discrepancy between studies applying aggregate analysis and those using disaggregate analysis, and differences in data collection may have contributed to the varying conclusions reported in the literature. This study conducts both aggregate and disaggregate analyses with two travel surveys of the Portland region. We employ descriptive analysis and <i>t</i>-tests to compare the aggregate commuting times of two years and use regression models to explore factors affecting the disaggregate commuting time at the individual trip level to examine whether the stability of the commuting time remains after substantial changes in the transportation and land use systems. Our study indicates that the average commuting time, along with the average commuting distance, increased slightly, as the mode share shifted away from driving during the examined period. The growth in shares of non-driving modes, which are slower than driving, coupled with an increased travel distance, contributed to the small increase in the average commuting time. Our analysis also indicates that the average travel speed improved for transit riders as well as drivers, contradicting earlier research that claims that public transit investment has worsened the congestion in Portland.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/18/8369commuting time paradoxtransportation and land usemode sharetravel time budget
spellingShingle Huajie Yang
Jiali Lin
Jiahao Shi
Xiaobo Ma
Application of Historical Comprehensive Multimodal Transportation Data for Testing the Commuting Time Paradox: Evidence from the Portland, OR Region
Applied Sciences
commuting time paradox
transportation and land use
mode share
travel time budget
title Application of Historical Comprehensive Multimodal Transportation Data for Testing the Commuting Time Paradox: Evidence from the Portland, OR Region
title_full Application of Historical Comprehensive Multimodal Transportation Data for Testing the Commuting Time Paradox: Evidence from the Portland, OR Region
title_fullStr Application of Historical Comprehensive Multimodal Transportation Data for Testing the Commuting Time Paradox: Evidence from the Portland, OR Region
title_full_unstemmed Application of Historical Comprehensive Multimodal Transportation Data for Testing the Commuting Time Paradox: Evidence from the Portland, OR Region
title_short Application of Historical Comprehensive Multimodal Transportation Data for Testing the Commuting Time Paradox: Evidence from the Portland, OR Region
title_sort application of historical comprehensive multimodal transportation data for testing the commuting time paradox evidence from the portland or region
topic commuting time paradox
transportation and land use
mode share
travel time budget
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/18/8369
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