Modeling Within-Day Activity Rescheduling Decisions under Time-Varying Network Conditions

Abstract

The within-day activity rescheduling decision process is an integral part of the travel choices when a traveler fulfills his/her daily travel activities. The within-day activity rescheduling decision takes place when the currently executed activity schedule is being interrupted and time pressure or time surplus is being created by traffic condition and/or activity attribute changes. Adjustment may also be triggered by changes that reduce time pressure and create time surplus. It is postulated in this research that a traveler aims to maximize his/her utility while rescheduling the remaining activities. A utility maximization activity rescheduling model is proposed to depict this decision process. Moreover, time-varying travel times between activity locations are explicitly incorporated in the proposed activity adjustment model and solution algorithm, establishing consistency between the adjusted activities, schedules and the time-varying traffic conditions. Numerical studies demonstrate the solution properties of the proposed activity rescheduling model.