Reexamining ICT impact on travel using the 2001 NHTS data for baltimore metropolitan area

Abstract

Information and communications technology (ICT) creates rich opportunities for individuals to reduce economic and social costs associated with their spatial interaction with others. The potential effects on travel behavior, however small individually, can aggregate substantially because ICT is rapidly permeating all aspects of our daily lives (Golob and Regan, 2001). Given that ICT usage necessarily involves reallocation of time and resources, it is conceivable that public policy could play an important role in facilitating desirable changes in travel outcomes by influencing the spatial and temporal reorganization of individuals’ activities (Shen, 2004). The last decade has witnessed a growing number of empirical studies on the relationship between ICT and travel (see, for example, Handy and Yantis, 1997; Johansson, 1999; Mokhtarian and Meenakshisundaram, 1999; Harvey and Taylor, 2000; Hjorthol, 2002; Farag et al., 2003; Fadare and Salami, 2004; Nobis and Lenz, 2004; Srinivasan and Athuru, 2004). These research efforts have undoubtedly broadened and deepened our understanding of the multidimensional, multidirectional, and complex ICT-travel connection. However, due to data and methodological limitations, such as small sample size, inadequate measurement of ICT usage, and lack of experimental design, there are many gaps in the existing knowledge about the actual and potential impacts of ICT on travel. The knowledge base must be strengthened in order to effectively support transportation planning and policy making for achieving the full benefits of ICT. This empirical study aims to gain additional insights into the relationship between ICT and travel using the 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data, which contain a large sample of households and individual members and