Factors influencing the perceived value of travel time in European urban areas

Abstract

This research aims at expanding the scope of travel satisfaction by incorporating subjective elements in the evaluation of worthwhileness of travel time proposed by the H2020 MoTiV project, using a European-wide mobility dataset collected in 2019. Trip characteristics, mood, socio-demographic characteristics, experience factors, travel activities and weather were analysed to explore their influence on travellers’ perception of worthwhileness of travel time. The analysis was performed separately for five different transport mode categories using Structural Equation Models. The empirical analysis of this research indicates the high significance of enjoyment in terms of making a trip worthwhile for all transport modes. The results also revealed mode-specific experience factors that play an important role in shaping travel experience which could be addressed to improve the quality of travel time. It is expected that these results can support a shift towards a more human-centric approach in urban mobility plans as well as pave the way for more inclusive transport policies.