How Different Are Activities While Commuting by Train? A Case in Tokyo

Abstract

Generally, travel is considered a demand derived from the desire to engage in activities at destinations and travel time is also considered a wasteful time. However, if people can engage in activities while travelling, travel time is not just a wasteful time but could be a productive time. In recent years, ICTs provide travellers with various activity opportunities while travelling. This paper examined what activities train commuters were engaging in while travelling and what factors of travel environment and passengers' characteristics caused the difference in activities conducted and desired. Through on-board observation and questionnaire surveys, we found that difference in travelling mode (standing, sitting in normal/high-grade/extra-high-grade trains), the length of in-vehicle time and type of work hours affected the participation rate of different types of activities. Train environment with wider personal space and more secure privacy would induce activities restricted in the current travel environment and some commuters prefer to pay extra money to obtain it. Copyright (c) 2008 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG.

What Do Passengers Do During Travel Time? Structured Observations on Buses and Trains

“…Hence, different results between Thomas's and the current study may arise from the different methods used. Ohmori and Harata (2008), Thomas (2009), and the current study. …”

“…Ohmori and Harata's observer recorded six to eight passengers' activities every minute (Ohmori and Harata 2008). Our study showed a researcher can comfortably observe two people at a time.…”

“…Interestingly, there was considerable accord between the categories of train passenger activities used in studies in Japan (using observation and a self-report survey) (Ohmori and Harata 2008), the U.S. (using observation only) (Timmermans and Van der Waerden 2008), and New Zealand (Thomas 2009) and those from two surveys (not observational studies) in Great Britain (Lyons, Jain et al 2007) and Norway (Gripsrud and Hjorthol 2009). Of these, only the British study was available the schedule was designed.…”

Measuring Urban Space of Flows in Information Era: Empirical Evidence from Nanjing, China

“…For instance, abundant activities (e.g., online shopping, telecommuting, online entertainment, etc.) occur at home and the function of home has been redefined (Hjorthol & Gripsrud, 2009;Ohmori & Harata, 2008;Zhen & Wei, 2008). ICTs improve the tempo-spatial flexibility of residents' activities and lead to changes in the relationship between activities and places.…”

Congestible Goods and Hoarding: A Test Based on Students' Use of University Computers

“…For example, car drivers have been observed to hoard curbside parking places (Shoup, 2005, p. 443); students have been reported to hoard university computers (Straathof, 2011); airlines have been observed to hoard landing 1 See Gilbert and Hudson (2000), Lyons and Urry (2005), Small and Verhoef (2007), Ohmori and Harata (2008) and Proost and Dender (2008). 2 See Currie and Yelowitz (2000), Doganis (2002), Shoup (2005), Arnott and Inci (2006); Givoni and Rietveld (2009) and Van Ommeren and Koopman (2011). slots at airports (Doganis, 2002).…”