Route choice efficiency: an investigation of home-to-work trips using GPS data

This paper proposes a new way to study commuting efficiency based on the degree to which actual routes between places deviate from shortest paths. Factors influencing ‘route choice efficiency’ are investigated using a sample of home-based work trips obtained from the Space–Time Activity Research (STAR) survey, which was conducted in Halifax, Canada, between April 2007 and May 2008. The findings indicate that many drivers pursue suboptimal routes. Furthermore, the results from two ordered probit models reveal that sex, household size, work schedule, actual distance to work, distance to the central business district, travel time, and exposure to public transit are among the factors found to influence route choice efficiency. <br> <b>Keywords:</b> commuting efficiency, excess commuting, excess travel, geographic information system, global positioning system, Halifax STAR (Space–Time Activity Research) survey, route choice, shortest path, travel behavior