A model for time of day and mode choice using error components logit

The severity of road congestion not only depends on the relation between traffic volumes and network capacity, but also on the distribution of car traffic among different time periods during the day. A new error components logit model for the joint choice of time of day and mode is presented, estimated on stated preference data for car and train travellers in The Netherlands. The results indicate that time of day choice in The Netherlands is sensitive to changes in peak travel time and cost and that policies that increase these peak attributes will lead to peak spreading.