How will travel time use and perception be modified by autonomous vehicles? Insights from personal driving commuters and public transport commuters

Authors

• JIngchen Dai
• Chenhao Zheng
• Wenxin MA
• Ruimin Li

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2025

Subject Area

mode - bus, mode - car, mode - rail, place - asia, place - urban, planning - methods, planning - surveys, ridership - behaviour, ridership - commuting, technology - intelligent transport systems

Keywords

Autonomous vehicles (AVs), car-driver commuters, public transport (PT) commuters

Abstract

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are poised to transform travel time use and perception by eliminating the burden of driving and enabling various in-vehicle activities. Based on an online survey conducted in China, this study provides an empirical analysis on exploring people’s preferences for utilizing travel time in AVs. The analysis mainly focuses on car-driver commuters and public transport (PT) commuters by considering the sample size and future travel activity type (TAT) transform potential. Using rank-ordered probit models and random parameter ordered logit models, we analyzed the factors influencing commuters’ preferences for TATs during AV commutes and their acceptable increase in commuting time. Our findings reveal that the current TAT reference, the interest in productive use of travel time, and the experience level of autonomous driving remarkably affect TAT references for both commuter types, whereas the perceived travel subjective well-being is only a driving force for car-driver commuters engaging in well-being activities. Additionally, the heterogeneous effects of future TAT preferences on acceptable commuting time increase are observed, depending on the individuals’ attitudes toward different in-vehicle activities. For car-driver commuters, those inclined toward work/study activities are willing to accept extended commuting time; whereas for PT commuters, those who are least likely to engage in work/study activities are willing to accept high degrees of commuting time increase.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Transportation Research Part A Home Page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09658564

Recommended Citation

Dai, J., Zheng, C., Ma, W., & Li, R. (2025). How will travel time use and perception be modified by autonomous vehicles? Insights from personal driving commuters and public transport commuters. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 199, 104602.