Computational-Process Modelling of Travel Decisions: Empirical Tests

Travel behavior entails several interrelated decisions made by people, as well as the execution of routines not preceded by deliberate decisions. Furthermore, travel decisions are dependent on choices to participate in activities. A conceptual framework is proposed as the basis of a computational-process model (CPM). Because of the complexity of the decision-making process in which individuals are engaged, CPMs are promising alternatives to disaggregate discrete choice modelling with its limited ability to account for interrelated decisions and its reliance on an unrealistic utility-maximizing framework. Empirical support for the proposed conceptual framework is presented in the paper from case studies of telecommuting households in Sacramento, CA. The value of geographical information systems (GIS) in these empirical tests is demonstrated.