Travel behavior changes due to life events: Longitudinal evidence from Dutch couple households

Abstract

Despite increasing interest in how travel behavior changes over time, few studies have investigated how life events alter travel behavior, especially from a household perspective. This study examined the extent to which life events influenced changes in travel mode frequencies at the household level. We applied structural equation modeling based on the Netherlands Mobility Panel data for 2014 and 2016. For both partners, acquiring a household car significantly increased car use, and disposing of household cars decreased car use frequency. The number of household cars was inversely related to men’s train use. Childbirth in the household decreased both partners’ cycling frequency. Men’s job changes increased train use. These findings emphasize that life events can influence changes in travel behavior within household partners.