Citation

Gunnarsson SO. IATSS Res. 2000; 24(1): 69-75.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Some lessons have been learnt about travel behaviour, e.g. how travel time consumption seems constant and independent of the economic and social situation and how improvements in speed increase trip length. However, although travel behaviour has been studied for many years, few theories have been developed. A theoretical approach is presented here based on the ideas that 1) transport demand is generated by dissatisfaction with one?s own space, 2) the individual tries to maximize benefit at the destination compared to utility at the origin and travel costs. Promoting sustainable transport increases the need for an extensive knowledge and understanding of individual choice behaviour and how transport consumers will react to and accept different measures. It is thus time to establish a scientific discipline for research and development in travel demand and mobility management - Mobilistics. Four subspecialties are identified: - Traffic Generetics, how travel demand is generated and satisfied under various land use structures, socio-economic conditions, policy instruments etc., including the substitution of travel by telecommunication; - Travel Informatics, how to bring information to transport consumers and traffic operators; - Mobility Management, how to manage travel demand, organize traffic services and analyze and evaluate the societal consequences. - Traffic Flow Dynamics, how to apply IT and other techniques to control traffic flows efficiently in networks. Mobilistics covers the behavioural sciences and transportation. Specialized professorships and university institutions ought to be established.