Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0 Series: Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers Creation-Date: 2004-08-24 Number: 04-092/3 Author-Name: Jos van Ommeren Author-Email: jommeren@feweb.vu.nl Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Author-Name: Joyce Dargay Author-Email: j.dargay@ucl.ac.uk Author-Workplace-Name: ESRC Transport Studies Unit, University College London Title: The Optimal Choice of Commuting Speed: Consequences for Commuting Time, Distance and Costs Abstract: This discussion paper resulted in a publication in the 'Journal of Transport Economics and Policy', 2006, 40(2), 279-296.

In this paper, we derive a structural model for commuting speed. We presume that commuting speed is chosen to minimise commuting costs, which encompass both monetary and time costs. At faster speed levels, the monetary costs increase, but the time costs fall. Using data from Great Britain, we demonstrate that the income elasticity of commuting speed is 0.126. The ratio of variable monetary costs to travel time costs is 0.14. Classification-JEL: R41 Keywords: commuting; speed; travel demand modelling File-Url: https://papers.tinbergen.nl/04092.pdf File-Format: application/pdf File-Size: 358470 bytes Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20040092