The Impacts of Children on the Activity-Travel Patterns of Adults

This study provided insights on how individual activity-travel patterns of adults were impacted by whether they lived with children or not. This cross-sectional study used the 2006 Puget Sound Regional Council Household Activity and Travel Survey data to investigate activity-travel patterns of 7,709 individual adults living in the Puget Sound Region, Washington. Multilevel regression models with the individual as the first level and the household as a second level were developed. With one-third of the participants living with children, the results showed that individuals who lived with children made 20% more non-work trips than those who did not live with children. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of size of activity realm. Also, whether individuals lived with children or not was found to be an insignificant variable to predict individual automobile dependence. The impact of residential density on parents was not different from that of non-parents. Interactions between gender, work status, and whether adults lived with children or not, revealed complex travel patterns according to different population subgroups. Women who worked part time and lived with children made the second highest number of non-work trips after women who were unemployed and lived with children. Men who worked part time and lived with children had the largest individual activity realm. Interestingly, men who did not work but lived with children traveled the least.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABE70 Women's Issues in Transportation
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Lin, Lin
  • Moudon, Anne Vernez
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2012-1-22 to 2012-1-26
• Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 21p
• Monograph Title: TRB 91st Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Activity choices; Children; Cross sectional studies; Impact studies; Regression analysis; Travel behavior
• Geographic Terms: Puget Sound Region
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01363052
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 12-4221
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 21 2012 10:06AM