Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Exploring spatial variety in patterns of activity-travel behaviour: initial results from the Toronto Travel-Activity Panel Survey (TTAPS)

  • Published:
Transportation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Studies of urban travel behaviour typically focus on weekday activities and commuting. This is surprising given the rising contribution of discretionary activities to daily travel that has occurred during the last few decades. Moreover, current understanding of the relationship between travel behaviour and land use remains incomplete, with little research carried out to explore spatial properties of activity-travel behaviour during the off-peak and weekend time periods. Weekend behaviours, for example, influenced by the availability of time and the spatiotemporal distribution of “weekend” destinations, likely produce spatially and temporally distinct activity-travel patterns. Using data from the first wave of the Toronto Travel-Activity Panel Survey (TTAPS), this paper examines an area of research that has received little attention; namely, the presence of spatial variety in activity-travel behaviour. The paper begins by looking at the extent to which individuals engage in spatially repetitive location choices during the course of a single week. Area-based measures of geographical extent and activity dispersion are then used to expose differences in weekday-to-weekend and day-to-day activity-travel patterns. Examination of unclassified activities carried out over a 1 week period reveals a level of spatial repetition that does not materialise across activities classified by type, travel mode, and planning strategy. Despite the inherent spatial flexibility offered by the personal automobile, spatial repetition is also found to be surprisingly similar across travel modes. The results also indicate weekday-to-weekend, and day-to-day fluctuations in spatial properties of individual activity-travel behaviour. These findings challenge the utility of the short-run survey as an instrument for capturing archetypal patterns of spatial behaviour. In addition, the presence of a weekday-to-weekend differential in spatial behaviour suggests that policies targeting weekday travel reduction could have little impact on travel associated with weekend activities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Axhausen, K.W., Zimmerman, A., Schönfelder, S., Rindsfuser, G., Haupt, T.: Observing the rhythms of daily life: a six-week travel diary. Transportation 29, 95–124 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckmann, M.J., Golob, T.F., Zahavi, Y.: Travel probability fields and urban spatial structure: 1, theory. Environ. Plann. A 15, 593–606 (1983a)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckmann, M.J., Golob, T.F., Zahavi, Y.: Travel probability fields and urban spatial structure: 2. empirical tests. Environ. Plann. A 15, 727–738 (1983b)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buliung, R.N.: Reviving the activity space: can “old” behavioural geography provide “new” insights to the urban transport policy debate? In: Proceedings of the Canadian Transportation Research Forum (CTRF), May 2005

  • Buliung, R.N.: Broadband technology and metropolitan sustainability: an interpretive review. http://kmdi.utoronto.ca/broadband/programs/default.html. Accessed 2 Jan 2008 (2007)

  • Buliung, R.N., Kanaroglou, P.S.: A GIS toolkit for exploring geographies of household activity/travel behavior. J. Transp. Geogr. 14, 35–51 (2006a)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buliung, R.N., Kanaroglou, P.S.: Urban form and household activity-travel behaviour. Growth Change 37, 174–201 (2006b)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buliung, R.N., Remmel, T.: Spatial analysis, open source and activity-travel behaviour research: home-range and centrographic estimation capabilities of the aspace package. J. Geogr. Syst. 10, 191–216 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buliung, R.N., Roorda, M.J.: Spatial variety in weekly, weekday-to-weekend, and day-to-day patterns of activity-travel behaviour: initial results from the Toronto Travel-Activity Panel Survey. Paper presented at the 85th annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, January 2006

  • Burt, W.H.: Territoriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals. J. Mammal. 24, 346–352 (1943)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Church, A., Frost, M., Sullivan, K.: Transport and social exclusion in London. Transp. Policy 7, 195–205 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Couclelis, H.: Pizza over the Internet: e-commerce, the fragmentation of activity, and the tyranny of the region. Entrepreneurship Reg. Dev. 16, 41–54 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dijst, M.: Two-earner families and their action spaces: a case study of two Dutch communities. GeoJournal 48, 195–206 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doherty, S.T.: Should we abandon activity type analysis? Redefining activities by their salient attributes. Transportation 33, 517–536 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doherty, S., Miller, E.J.: A computerized household activity scheduling survey. Transportation 27, 75–97 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doherty, S., Nemeth, E., Roorda, M., Miller, E.J.: Design and assessment of the Toronto area computerized household activity scheduling survey. Paper presented at the 83rd annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, January 2004

  • Flyvbjerg, B.: Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Qual. Inq. 12, 219–245 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hägerstrand, T.: What about people in regional science? Pap. Reg. Sci. Assoc. 24, 7–21 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, S., Hanson, P.: The travel-activity patterns of urban residents: dimensions and relationships to sociodemographic characteristics. Econ. Geogr. 57, 332–347 (1981)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, S., Huff, J.O.: Assessing day-to-day variability in complex travel patterns. Transportation Res. Rec. 891, 18–24 (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, S., Huff, J.: Classification issues in the analysis of complex travel behavior. Transportation 13, 271–293 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, S., Huff, J.O.: Systematic variability in repetitious travel. Transportation 15, 111–135 (1988a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, S., Huff, J.: Repetition and day-to-day variability in individual travel patterns: implications for classification. In: Golledge, R.G., Timmermans, H. (eds.) Behavioural Modelling in Geography and Planning, pp. 368–398. Croomhem, London (1988b)

  • Harris, S., Cresswell, W.J., Forde, P.G., Trewhella, W.J., Woollard, T., Wray, S.: Home-range analysis using radio-tracking data-a review of problems and techniques particularly as applied to the study of mammals. Mammal Rev. 20, 97–123 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horton, F., Hultquist, J.: Urban household travel patterns: definition and relationship to household characteristics. East Lakes Geogr. 7, 37–48 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Horton, F.E., Reynolds, D.R.: Effects of urban spatial structure on individual behavior. Econ. Geogr. 47, 36–48 (1971)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huff, J.O., Hanson, S.: Repetition and variability in urban travel. Geogr. Anal. 18, 97–114 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huff, J., Hanson, S.: Measurement of habitual behaviour: examining systematic variability in repetitive travel. In: Jones, P.M. (ed.) Developments in Dynamic and Activity-Based Approaches to Travel Analysis, pp. 229–249. Aldershot, Avebury (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  • Janelle, D.G.: Central place development in a time-space framework. Prof. Geogr. 20, 5–10 (1968)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston-Anumonwo, I.: The influence of household type on gender differences in work trip distance. Prof. Geogr. 44, 161–169 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, P., Clarke, M.: The significance and measurement of variability in travel behaviour. Transportation 15, 65–87 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenyon, S., Lyons, G., Rafferty, J.: Transport and social exclusion: investigating the possibility of promoting inclusion through virtual mobility. J. Trans. Geogr. 10, 207–219 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitamura, R., Van der Hoorn, T.: Regularity and irreversibility of weekly travel behavior. Transportation 14, 227–251 (1987)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knowles, R.D.: Transport shaping space: differential collapse in time-space. J. Transp. Geogr. 14, 407–425 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwan, M.-P.: Gender and individual access to urban opportunities: a study using space-time measures. Prof. Geogr. 51, 210–227 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwan, M.-P.: Interactive geovisualization of activity-travel patterns using three-dimensional geographical information systems: a methodological exploration with a large data set. Transp. Res. C 8, 185–203 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, M.S., McNally, M.G.: On the structure of weekly activity/travel patterns. Transp. Res. A 37, 823–839 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Marble, D.F., Bowlby, S.R.: Shopping alternatives and recurrent travel patterns. In: Horton, F. (ed.) Geographic Studies of Urban Transportation and Network Analysis, pp. 42–75. Department of Geography, Northwestern University, Illinois (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, H.J.: Modelling accessibility using space-time prism concepts within geographical information systems. Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Syst. 5, 287–301 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, H.J., Wu, Y.-H.: GIS software for measuring space-time accessibility in transportation planning and analysis. GeoInformatica 4, 141–159 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohr, C.O.: Table of equivalent populations of North American mammals. Am. Midl. Nat. 37, 223–249 (1947)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muthyalagari, G.R., Parashar, A., Pendyala, R.M.: Measuring day-to-day variability in travel characteristics using GPS data. Paper presented at the 80th annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, January 2001

  • Newsome, T.H., Walcott, W., Smith, P.D.: Urban activity spaces: illustrations and application of a conceptual model for integrating the time and space dimensions. Transportation 25, 357–377 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • North American Transportation Statistics (NATS) Database. Accessed 2 Jan 2008 (2008)

  • Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): OECD Broadband statistics to December 2006. http://www.oecd.org/document/7/0,3343,en_2649_34223_38446855_1_1_1_1,00.html#TimeSeries. Accessed 2 Jan 2008 (2006)

  • Pas, E.I.: Towards the understanding of urban travel behaviour through the classification of daily urban travel/activity patterns. Dissertation, Northwester University, Evanston (1980)

  • Pas, E.I.: A flexible and integrated methodology for analytical classification of daily travel-activity behaviour. Transp. Sci. 17, 405–429 (1983)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pas, E.I.: Multiday samples, parameter estimation precision, and data collection costs for least squares regression trip-generation models. Environ. Plann. A 18, 17–27 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pas, E.I.: Intrapersonal variability and model goodness-of-fit. Transp. Res. A 21, 431–438 (1987)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pas, E.I.: Weekly travel-activity behavior. Transportation 15, 89–109 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pas, E.I., Koppelman, F.S.: An examination of the determinants of day-to-day variability in individuals’ urban travel behavior. Transportation 13, 183–200 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pas, E.I., Sundar, S.: Intrapersonal variability in daily urban travel behavior: some additional evidence. Transportation 22, 135–150 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritsema van Eck, J., Burghouwt, G., Dijst, M.: Lifestyles, spatial configurations and quality of life in daily travel: an explorative simulation study. J. Transp. Geogr. 13, 123–134 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roorda, M.J., Miller, E.J.: Toronto activity panel survey—demonstrating the benefits of a multiple instrument panel survey. Paper presented at the 7th international conference on travel methods, Costa Rica, August 2004

  • Roorda, M.J., Ruiz, T.: Long and short-term dynamics in activity scheduling: a structural equations approach. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Travel Behaviour Research, Kyoto (2006)

  • Roorda, M.J., Lee-Gosselin, M., Doherty, S., Miller, E.J., Rondier, P.: Travel activity panel surveys in the Toronto and Quebec City regions: comparison of methods and preliminary results. Paper presented at the 2nd international colloquium on the behavioural foundations of integrated land use and transportation models, Toronto, June 2005

  • Schlich, R.: Measurement issues in identifying variability in travel behaviour. Paper presented at the 1st Swiss Transport Research Conference, Monte Verità/Ascona, March 2001

  • Schlich, R., Axhausen, K.: Habitual travel behaviour: evidence from a six-week travel diary. Transportation 30, 13–36 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlich, R., Schönfelder, S., Hanson, S., Axhausen, K.W.: Structures of leisure travel: temporal and spatial variability. Transp. Rev. 24, 219–237 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schönfelder, S., Axhausen, K.W.: Mobidrive—längsschnitterhebungen zum individuellen verkehrsverhalten: perspektiven für raum-zeitliche analysen. Paper presented at CORP, February 2001

  • Schönfelder, S., Axhausen, K.W.: Activity spaces: measures of social exclusion? Transp. Policy 10, 273–286 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schönfelder, S., Axhausen, K.W.: Measuring the size and structure of human activity spaces—the longitudinal perspective. In: Arbeitsbericht Verkehrs-und Raumplanung, vol. 135. Institut für Verkehrsplanung und Transportsysteme (IVT), ETH Zürich, Zürich (2002)

  • Schwanen, T., Dieleman, F.M., Dijst, M.: Travel behaviour in Dutch monocentric and policentric urban systems. J. Transp. Geogr. 9, 173–186 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, D.M.: Comparison of two GIS-based algorithms for generating potential path areas. Paper presented at the 50th annual North American meeting of the Regional Science Association International, Philadelphia, PA, March 2003

  • Simma, A., Axhausen, K.W.: Successive days, related travel behaviour. Working Paper 62, Institute of Transportation, Traffic, Highway and Railway Engineering (IVT), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), Zurich (2001)

  • Srivastava, G., Schönfelder, S.: On the temporal variation of human activity spaces. In: Arbeitsberichte Verkehr- und Raumplanung, vol. 196. Institut für Verkehrsplanung und Transportsysteme, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (2003)

  • Susilo, Y.O., Axhausen, K.W.: How firm are you? A study of the stability of individual activity-travel location patterns using the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index. Paper prepared for the 11th world conference of transport research, Berkeley, CA, June 2007

  • Susilo, Y.O., Kitamura, R.: Analysis of day-to-day variability in an individual’s action space: exploration of 6-week mobidrive travel diary data. Transp. Res. Rec. 1902, 124–133 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thøgersen, J.: Understanding repetitive travel mode choices in a stable context: a panel study approach. Transp. Res. A 40, 621–638 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  • Turcotte, M. The time it takes to get to work and back. Statistics Canada (2005)

  • Turcotte, M.: Time spent with family during a typical workday, 1986–2005. Can. Soc. Trends Summer(83), 2–11 (2007)

  • Turner, T., Niemeier, D.: Travel to work and household responsibility: new evidence. Transportation 24, 397–419 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vidmar, G., Pohar, M.: Augmented convex hull plots: rationale, implementation in R and biomedical applications. Comput. Methods Programs Biomed. 78, 69–74 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolpert, J.: Behavioral aspects of the decision to migrate. Pap. Reg. Sci. Assoc. 15, 159–169 (1965)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worton, B.J.: A review of models of home range for animal movement. Ecol. Model. 38, 277–298 (1987)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worton, B.J.: A convex-hull estimator of home-range size. Biometrics 51, 1206–1215 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zahavi, Y.: The ‘UMOT’ project report. US Department of Transportation DOT-RSPA-DPB-20-79-3, US Department of Transportation, Washington (1979)

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments. The first author acknowledges the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada for providing financial support during the period of time when some of the ideas contained in this manuscript were originally conceived.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road North, Mississauga, ON, Canada, L5L1C6

    Ron N. Buliung

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S1A4

    Matthew J. Roorda

  3. Department of Geography, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, Canada, M3J1P3

    Tarmo K. Remmel

Authors
  1. Ron N. Buliung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Matthew J. Roorda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tarmo K. Remmel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ron N. Buliung.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Buliung, R.N., Roorda, M.J. & Remmel, T.K. Exploring spatial variety in patterns of activity-travel behaviour: initial results from the Toronto Travel-Activity Panel Survey (TTAPS). Transportation 35, 697–722 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-008-9178-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-008-9178-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation