Have the gender differences in commuting been shrinking or persistent? Evidence from two-earner households in the U.S.

Abstract

This study explores gender differences in commute behavior with a focus on two-earner households using data from the 2001, 2009 and 2017 U.S. National Household Travel Surveys (NHTS). To understand whether gender differences are shrinking or persistent in terms of commute distances, we first analyze these differences by assessing descriptive statistics and t-test across multiple population sub-categories and trip purposes. We then employ Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) models on the pooled data in order to analyze the determinants of the household total commute distance and share of women’s commute distance. Our study reveals: (1) gender gap in commute distances has narrowed over the years, however the magnitude of change is small; (2) women continue to have shorter commute distances; (3) commute mode, presence of children, and occupation-related characteristics affect gender gaps in commuting.