Changes in Transport Behavior by Fragmentation of Activities

Abstract

An empirical study was made with the aim of revealing the relationship and interaction between use of information and communications technology (ICT) and travel behavior. To this end, a concept is developed built around the basic idea that technological developments, both in the travel and especially in the communications sector, increase flexibility and thus enable a fundamental reorganization of activities. A major feature of the interplay between ICT and travel is the spatial-temporal fragmentation of activities, which can cause both quantitative and qualitative changes in traffic volume. Questions about changes in such routine behavior can only be answered by a long-term study. For this reason, the study presented here is set up as a representative panel investigation, allowing further studies in the future. With the results of the first set of data, the relationship is described between communication and mobility patterns and individual characteristics of people with varying affinities to ICT and what activity-specific ICT use is typical for groups of varying affinity. The initial evaluation of an extensive set of data allows a clear description of the relationship among ICT use, communications behavior, and mobility behavior, while providing evidence that such questions are legitimate.