{"title":"Congestion and scheduling preferences of car commuters in California: estimates using big data","authors":"Jinwon Kim, Jucheol Moon","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbad033","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This article estimates commuters’ scheduling utility function, which comprises the disutility of arriving at work earlier or later than desired (namely, the schedule-delay cost) and the disutility of travel time. The marginal rate of substitution (MRS) between the schedule delay and the travel time is about 0.85, meaning that commuters are willing to accept an extra schedule delay of about 1.2 time units (the reciprocal of 0.85) to reduce their travel time by 1 unit. For most travelers, the slope of the travel-time profile is much smaller than the estimated slope of the indifference curve (MRS). Based on our theoretical framework, where commuters choose a trip timing based on their travel-time profiles, our empirical results imply that commuters tend to arrive around their desired times bearing a small schedule-delay cost.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"77 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2023-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Economic Geography","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbad033","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This article estimates commuters’ scheduling utility function, which comprises the disutility of arriving at work earlier or later than desired (namely, the schedule-delay cost) and the disutility of travel time. The marginal rate of substitution (MRS) between the schedule delay and the travel time is about 0.85, meaning that commuters are willing to accept an extra schedule delay of about 1.2 time units (the reciprocal of 0.85) to reduce their travel time by 1 unit. For most travelers, the slope of the travel-time profile is much smaller than the estimated slope of the indifference curve (MRS). Based on our theoretical framework, where commuters choose a trip timing based on their travel-time profiles, our empirical results imply that commuters tend to arrive around their desired times bearing a small schedule-delay cost.
期刊介绍:
The aims of the Journal of Economic Geography are to redefine and reinvigorate the intersection between economics and geography, and to provide a world-class journal in the field. The journal is steered by a distinguished team of Editors and an Editorial Board, drawn equally from the two disciplines. It publishes original academic research and discussion of the highest scholarly standard in the field of ''economic geography'' broadly defined. Submitted papers are refereed, and are evaluated on the basis of their creativity, quality of scholarship, and contribution to advancing understanding of the geographic nature of economic systems and global economic change.