Exploring the Positive Utility of Travel and Mode Choice
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Summary
This dissertation investigates the "positive utility of travel" (PUT), challenging the dominant derived-demand paradigm which views travel time as a disutility to be minimized. The research addresses gaps in conceptualizing, measuring, and modeling how travel activities (multitasking) and travel experiences (subjective well-being) influence mode choice. The study aims to determine if travelers derive intrinsic benefits from the act of traveling itself, such as enjoyment, fulfillment, or productive multitasking, and how these factors affect transportation decisions. The methodology involved a comprehensive literature review to define PUT as "any benefit(s) accruing to a traveler through the act of traveling," categorized into travel activities and travel experiences. Primary data were collected via the "Commuting Survey 2016," administered to nearly 700 commuters in the Portland, Oregon, region. The survey uniquely captured PUT measures for both the chosen commute mode and considered alternatives. Analytical techniques included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to identify latent constructs of hedonic (e.g., enjoyment, distress) and eudaimonic (e.g., autonomy, health) well-being. Determinants of these measures were examined using binary and ordered logit models and structural equation modeling. Finally, integrated choice and latent variable (ICLV) models were estimated to assess the impact of PUT measures on commute mode choice. Key findings indicate that walking and bicycling commuters reported the highest satisfaction and valued time spent exercising. Factor analyses revealed distinct groupings of travel activities and well-being constructs. The ICLV models demonstrated that travel-based multitasking is significantly related to mode choice, suggesting travelers often engage in activities to pass time rather than for productivity. Furthermore, validated measures of travel subjective well-being were significant positive predictors of mode choice, indicating travelers prefer modes that enhance their happiness. Incorporating PUT measures substantially increased the explanatory power of the mode choice models compared to traditional variables like travel time and cost. The study concludes that PUT concepts are critical for understanding travel behavior, offering implications for transportation policy and planning. Recognizing the positive utility of travel supports strategies to promote nonautomobile modes by highlighting their experiential benefits. Additionally, the findings provide a framework for anticipating the impacts of autonomous vehicles, which may significantly alter travel-based multitasking and subjective well-being. The research contributes to travel behavior theory by validating the measurement of PUT and demonstrating its empirical relevance to mode choice decisions.
Key finding
Measures of travel-based multitasking and subjective well-being are significantly and positively related to commute mode choice, greatly increasing the explanatory power of mode choice models.
Methodology
survey
Sample size: 700
Provenance
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | rosap | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
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| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 24 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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