Citation

Kapitza J. Travel Behav. Soc. 2024; 35: e100750.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.tbs.2024.100750

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

For many people, commuting to and from work is an essential part of their everyday lives. Many studies investigating the perception and effects of commuting on the commuter's subjective well-being (SWB) use a cost-benefit approach based in classical economic theory. This approach is then used to determine the overall positive or negative impact commuting may have on the commuter. However, one factor typically overlooked in these calculations is the influence of the time of day. The present study therefore examines the extent to which the time of day influences various commuting factors and how these influences affect the general perception of commuting. The present study is based on a survey of 756 people who regularly commute to work at night in the Karlsruhe region (Germany). The findings indicate that when compared to daytime commuting, commuting at night leads to significant changes in organisational effort, time expenditure, stress levels, and perceptions of (un)safety. Importantly, however, these observed changes are also dependent on the mode of transport and the commuter's gender. With respect to mode of transport, people who commute by public transport are generally confronted with a higher organisational effort and longer commute duration at night, whereas people who commute by car or bicycle tend to benefit from a shorter commute. With regard to the safety aspect, it is mainly women who perceive their commute at night to be more unsafe. Additionally, this study's findings indicate that the observed changes in commuter perception at night, specifically with regard to the perception of (un)safety, stress level, the time expenditure and organisational effort, have a significant effect on the general commuting perception. Based on these findings is therefore proposed that improvements in predictions and modelling of general commuting perceptions and SWB will be achieved if future studies examine not only the economic aspects or how long individuals commute, but also if they consider more precisely when individuals commute. This shift in focus will then significantly improve the predictive power and modelling of general perceptions of commuting and associated SWB.

Language: en

Keywords

Commuting; Nighttime mobility; Perception; Safety; Subjective well-being