Travel and activity choices based on an individual accessibility model

Abstract

An individual's travel and activity behaviour is influenced by temporal and spatial constraints, travel and activity characteristics and individual attributes. This article formulates an individual accessibility model to measure the accessibility benefits of daily activities undertaken through a trip, a trip chain or at home. The model is extended further to analyse individuals' activity location choices, choices between activities at home and activities through travel, and activity timing and scheduling decisions, with the assumption that an individual chooses an activity/travel alternative with the maximum accessibility benefits. An individual's choice among different locations for participating in an activity is shown to depend on the time budget and the locations of activities scheduled before and after this decided activity. The substitution of an activity at home for an activity through travel is shown to depend on the relative magnitude of activity location attraction and activity duration between these two types of activities and preference parameters. Finally, the article illustrates how an individual schedules one or several continuous or discontinuous activities with time-dependent accessibility benefits so as to maximise benefits.