⁎A104 Impact of Individuals’ Commuting Trips on Subjective Well-being - Evidence from Xi’an, China

Abstract

Abstract Background Transportation as an important component for urban sustainability has been well recognized. Individual and societal well-being are critical indicators of social sustainability. However, little attention, from both a research and policy perspective, has been paid to the impacts of transportation on well-being. With extensive urban expansion resulting from rapid urbanization, commuting has become a physical and mental burden for many residents in the megacities of China because of increasing travel distances and worsening travel experiences. This study aims to contribute to the growing literature on the relationship between transportation and well-being and also to quantitatively test this relationship in the Chinese context using data from a survey conducted in Xi-an, a mega-city of western China. Methods The data used in this study was gathered through a specially designed survey. The survey gathered data on individuals’ (1) socio-demographic information, such as age, income, employment status, education, etc.; (2) details of their most recent commuting journey, including travel time and mode choice; (3) current home and job locations; (4) self-reported physical and mental health; (5) travel satisfaction; and (6) satisfaction with life. The survey was conducted between May 15th and June 30th 2013. 1364 valid surveys were collected, including 794 web-based surveys and 570 paper-based surveys. Descriptive analysis was first conducted to explore the sample characteristics and to extract general information related to the commute and subjective well-being of the respondents. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was then used to examine the relationships among socio-demographics, travel time, travel mode choice, commuting satisfaction, and subjective well- being. Results This study finds that commute characteristics, including travel mode choice and level of service, significantly influence commuting satisfaction, which in turn significantly affects overall satisfaction with life. Active travel (i.e. walking and bicycling) commuters had the highest levels of commuting satisfaction. For transit commuters, having to transfer and over-crowding were associated with lower level of commuting satisfaction. For car commuters, congestion on the road could significantly reduce their commuting satisfaction. Commuting time was significantly and negatively associated with commuting satisfaction. In terms of the importance, congestion is the biggest deterrent to the commuting satisfaction, while active travel contributes most to improve commuting satisfaction. Conclusions These findings illustrate that travel model choice and the efficiency and quality of the transportation network not only affects economic activities, but also has significant impact on individuals’ well-being.