"If only I had taken the other road...": Regret, risk and reinforced learning in informed route-choice

This paper presents a study of the effect of regret on route choice behavior when both descriptional information and experiential feedback on choice outcomes are provided. The relevance of Regret Theory in travel behavior has been well demonstrated in non-repeated choice environments involving decisions on the basis of descriptional information. The relation between regret and reinforced learning through experiential feedbacks is less understood. Using data obtained from a simple route-choice experiment involving different levels of travel time variability, discrete-choice models accounting for regret aversion effects are estimated. The results suggest that regret aversion is more evident when descriptional information is provided ex-ante compared to a pure learning from experience condition. Yet, the source of regret is related more strongly to experiential feedbacks rather than to the descriptional information itself. Payoff variability is negatively associated with regret. Regret aversion is more observable in choice situations that reveal risk-seeking, and less in the case of risk-aversion. These results are important for predicting the possible behavioral impacts of emerging information and communication technologies and intelligent transportation systems on travelers' behavior. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

Evaluating the effects of information reliability on travellers’ route choice

This paper analyses travellers' behaviour with respect to route choice in a context where an Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS) is in place. ATIS are important applications in the field of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). However, the practical impact of ATIS is still a matter for debate, and identification of expected route choice behaviour under ATIS is one of the main ways to assess their practical importance. Travellers' choices are frequently explored by means of stated preference (SP) approaches. In this paper we discuss some issues to be addressed when an SP survey is carried out, with particular reference to cases where a repeated choice approach is employed in the survey. Our analysis concerns an application of the SP approach in a pilot study aimed at identifying the effects of ATIS accuracy on travellers’ compliance with information. This paper aims to make two major contributions. First of all, empirical analyses based on proper indicators and statistical tests are suggested in order to evaluate how the collected data have to be handled in order to eliminate transient route-choice observations. These are due to the warm-up phase inherently associated with the survey method adopted, dealing with repeated choices. Secondly, we analyse (stationary) route choice in order to assess the effects of information reliability (and the kind of information) on both route choice and compliance

Telecommuting Suitability Modeling: An Approach Based on the Concept of Abstract job

A new approach to modeling telecommuting suitability is proposed in this paper. The approach, based on the concept of abstract job, can be employed to assess the level of suitability for telecommuting of the bundle of tasks comprising a job. By abstract job is meant a way of considering jobs on the basis of their elements and tasks, representing the general structure of the job. In this study, the basic tasks a job is composed of, pertaining to telecommuting suitability, are identified. To show the applicability of the approach, discrete choice models are calibrated, based on a sample of 245 employees in Tehran, Iran, indicating that from among the 6 tasks identified, 5 tasks are significantly associated with the level of telecommuting suitability. Copyright Springer 2006abstract job, telecommuting suitability, job-task vector, discrete choice models, stated preference,

Freeway traffic systems

The efficient management of freeway traffic networks is a very crucial issue in all the developed countries, where advanced technologies and methodologies have been designed and are still under development in order to provide the users with a safe, sustainable, coordinated and smart traffic system. One of the main negative points experienced by travellers in freeways is surely the formation of congestion phenomena, but other related aspects must be taken into consideration, such as pollutant emissions, fuel consumption, safety and noise. This chapter investigates the main issues associated with freeway traffic systems and introduces some key concepts about the possibility of managing and controlling freeways in order to enhance the mobility of people and goods, paying attention to the new developments in information and communication technologies