Modeling activity duration and travel time uncertainty on departure time choice of students

Abstract

Activity timing and duration have attracted much attention under the research scope of activity-based approach. However, little attention has been given to the effects of uncertainties of these factors for activity scheduling. This paper focuses on the activity-travel modeling for the home-school-home (HSH) travels with considerations of both activity duration and travel time uncertainty. A departure time choice model is formulated. The model is calibrated with the data of Travel Characteristics Survey 2011 (TCS2011) in Hong Kong, to provide a better understanding of the travel behavior of HSH pattern. The result showed that longer travel time and larger travel time vibration of home-school travel resulted in student's earlier departure from school back home. The result also implied that students didn't prefer longer stay at school after school was over. Elder students had higher probability for longer stay at school compared to the younger students.