Is school travel excessive? Empirical evidence from Xi'an, China

A substantial literature has developed on the topic of excess commuting. This paper discusses school travel in Xi'an (China) in the framework of excess commuting. Questionnaires, Baidu Coordinates Finder, Baidu Map API and Python module were used to collect and extract school travel data. The analysis is based on 2358 student samples from 16 junior secondary schools. Results indicate that: (1) More than half (54.2%) of school travel distance is excessive, and as many as 60% of students travel to school excessively. Large amounts of excess school travel indicate a relatively low degree of school-housing spatial matching in Xi'an. (2) Home relocation, prioritized school quality, Hukou status and school district contribute to excess school travel in varying degrees, and motorized mode availability may lead to an increase of excess travel. (3) To a certain degree, the school district system is effective in reducing school travel distance. (4) The study also confirms that school travel is well-suited to analyze with excess commuting approaches.