RELAUT - Travel time (un)reliability in Austria: extent, costs and effects
Abstract
So far, in Austria neither the extent of unreliability, nor the related costs and the resulting consequences for the behavior of travelers have been investigated. RELAUT sheds light on the Austrian situation by using Austrian traffic and punctuality data and by conducting a survey among users of the Austrian transport network. Based on the findings, we will recommend measures that improve reliability (and hence reduce the corresponding costs). The economic costs of unreliable travel times are substantial: they induce schedule delays, and make it necessary for travelers to accept high puffer times in order to ensure punctual arrival. Also firms and consumers are affected by travel time variability, for instance when intermediate or final goods are delivered with a delay. In order to analyze travel time reliability in a systematic way, both the P-side (P=price) and the Q-side (Q=quantity) must be known. The P-side indicates the valuation that users of the transport network attach to reliability. The Q-side, in contrast, defines the extent of (un-) reliability. For instance, puffer times will increase when travel times become increasingly unreliable, but also when users attach a higher value to reliability (and thus are more willing to adapt their travel behavior). The economic costs related to travel time variability are then defined as P*Q. RELAUT is the first project to demonstrate how the P- and the Q-side of reliability can be defined and measured in Austria. First, a representative survey will be conducted among 250-300 Austrians concerning their perceptions of and reaction to unreliable travel times. For this purpose an existing, state-of-the-art survey from the Netherlands will be adapted to the Austrian context. It also contains a stated preference (SP) module, where respondents are asked to choose between hypothetical travel alternatives. The SP experiment allows for deriving the willingness-to-pay values for improvements in reliability (hence the P-side). Second, to measure the extent of travel time variability (the Q-side), we intend to use multiple data sources, including travel time data from ASFINAG and/or ITS Vienna Region as well as public transport punctuality data from Linz Linien. After having defined reliability in an adequate way, these definitions are applied to some selected road segments and public transport connections. Using both qualitative and quantitative analyses, explanatory variables for variations in the reliability over time will be determined. These may for instance include the time of the day, the day of the week, school holidays or weather conditions. Based on an extensive overview of the existing literature, the results of the survey, the travel time analysis and two expert workshops, recommendations concerning reliability-improving measures, information channels and monitoring systems will be made.
Travel time reliability Travel time unreliability Mobility behaviour Stated Preference Survey
Publikationen
Unreliable travel times in Austria: Relevance, reasons, reactions and avoidance strategies
Autoren: Link, C; Peer, S Jahr: 2017
Journal articles
RELAUT - Unzuverlässige Reisezeiten in Österreich: Ausmaß, Kosten und Wirkung - Endbericht
Autoren: Peer, S; Link, C; Kaucic, J; De Jong, G; Koster, P Jahr: 2016
Forschungsbericht (extern. Auftraggeber)
Project staff
Regine Gerike
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.Ing. Regine Gerike
regine.gerike@boku.ac.at
Project Leader
10.02.2015 - 04.09.2015
BOKU partners
External partners
Austrian Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning
none
partner
Significance BV
none
partner
WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, Institute for Multi-Level Governance and Development
none
coordinator
VU University Amsterdam - Department of Spatial Economics
none
partner