Is it better to invest in faster connections or rather in more comfortable ones? This question is the basis of a current study with the participation of Dresden transport and traffic expert Prof Regine Gerike from the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden). For the study, the value of leisure (VoL), the value of travel time savings (VTTS) and the resulting value of time assigned to travel (VTAT) had been estimated for workers in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. The estimation was done using a combined dataset of observed behaviour (mobility and time use over a whole reference week as well as consumption expenditure) and stated behaviour.

The international research team found that car and motorbike, car sharing and carpooling performed worst in terms of the value of time spent travelling (VTAT). Using the data, the team deduced that perceived travel comfort is substantially lower for all in car modes (private, shared and pooled) than for public transport and bike. "From a transportation policy perspective, our results suggest that travel comfort matters greatly and investing in the quality of travel should therefore obtain more attention," the study states.

For public transport operations specifically in Zurich, on the other hand, the research team deduces "that in the case of Zurich, investing in faster connections may exhibit a higher marginal impact on user benefits, since the VoL is relatively high, while travel comfort is perceived as high already".

Highlights of the study:

• Value of leisure and value of travel time estimated for the same respondents
• Value of time assigned to travel is obtained for each mode and individual
• Improved policy recommendations when obtaining all value of time components
• Inclusion of income savings in the time-use and expenditure allocation model
• Inputs for researchers collecting data on time-use and expenditure allocation

The study:
Schmid, Basil; Molloya, Joseph; Peer, Stefanie; Jokubauskaite, Simona; Aschauer, Florian; Hössinger, Reinhard; Gerike, Regine; Jara-Diaz, Sergio R.; Axhausen, Kay W. (2021): The value of travel time savings and the value of leisure in Zurich: Estimation, decomposition and policy implications. Transportation Research Part A 150 (2021) 186–215.