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As an additional effort for exploring the unknowns about the ownership behavior of autonomous vehicles (AVs), we implemented an online stated preference (SP) survey in Japan and collected 1728 responses from car users across the whole country in 2016. The SP choice set included three types of AVs (conditional, high, and full automation) and a conventional vehicle. Each respondent answered three SP profiles. SP Attributes of AVs (additional purchase cost, reduction rate of insurance, reduction rate of permanent parking cost, penetration rate in the market, and release timing to the market) were defined relative to the conventional vehicle. Changes in future income were assumed based on each respondent's historical trend for assisting him/her to show more realistic responses. It was found that on average, respondents are willing to pay an additional 402,233 to 793,611 JPY to purchase an AV in the future. Estimating a mixed logit model with repeated choices and correlations between random-effect parameters following a normal distribution confirmed the significant influence of unobserved and correlated heterogeneities with respect to SP attributes. Both expected and unexpected results with respect to the random-effect variables are observed. Policy implications of analysis results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue argues the importance of a paradigm shift from traditional approaches to the life-oriented approach for a better understanding of travel behavior and for better supporting cross-sectoral transport policymaking. The life-oriented approach focuses on the interdependencies between life choices, and for travel behavior analysis, it not only considers travel behavior as the results from various life choices, but also the reverse relationship of travel behavior influencing life choices. Here, first, we introduce the life-oriented approach in general, and then apply it to travel behavior research. Second, we summarize the findings from ten papers included in this special issue. These ten papers deal with topics such as commuting, ‘peak car’ phenomenon, travel mode choice, residential biography, holiday travel behavior, and happiness. Evidence is presented mainly from developed countries, but with an exception from China. Each paper presents unique and innovative efforts. Finally, we discuss several important future research challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of land use policy on people's residential and travel choices may be overestimated because of self-selection effects. In the context of commuting, neighborhood and travel preferences may induce self-selection effects in choices about residential location, work location, and commuting mode. Presumably, such self-selection effects may vary across different job markets. To date, however, no study has been done in developing countries. Therefore, this study aims to fill this research gap by using data collected in Hanoi, Vietnam. A joint model with the above three choices is built by incorporating self-selection effects, where effects of land use attributes are emphasized. Choices of labor-intensive workers (11,344) and knowledge-intensive workers (12,360) are compared. The statistical significance of multiple self-selection effects is confirmed, which suggests that the joint estimation of the above three choices is a useful approach. As for the magnitude of influence of self-selection effects, self-selection seems to be more influential in knowledge-intensive workers' residential location and work location choices. As for land use attributes, different types of households, and labor-intensive and knowledge-intensive workers show different responses to different types of land in location choices (especially the work location choice). Effects of land use diversity and population density on the commuting mode choice are mixed. Additionally, the centralization of knowledge-intensive employment and decentralization of labor-intensive employment are captured. These findings may be useful for city planners in Hanoi in designing land use patterns in the future in order to keep knowledge-intensive workers working and living close together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This virtual special issue (VSI) focuses on the importance of researching young people's life choices and travel behaviors based on the life-oriented approach. Young people's behaviors may be uniquely different from other age groups. A better understanding of such behaviors is essential for making transport policy decisions from long-term, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectional perspectives. This VSI presents ten papers, covering topics such as possession of a driver's license, car ownership and usage, travel patterns, household expenditure, residential behavior, shared mobility, and self-driving public buses. The features and major findings of each paper are summarized and then important research issues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to bring various changes in people's lives. Such expected changes in life may affect people's decisions on the ownership of privately-owned AVs (PAVs) and even future travel demand structure. However, such effects remained unclear due to the lack of relevant studies. By targeting young people, this study fills this research gap by implementing a nation-wide expectation and stated preference (SP) survey in Japan, by comparing with older people. In the survey, respondents first reported their expected changes in life caused by AVs and then chose the most preferred vehicle from a choice set with three types of PAVs (conditional, high, and full automation) and a conventional car. The survey was implemented in 2016 and 3,006 valid SP responses were collected from 1,002 respondents (417 are young people). It is found that young people expected more changes in life and are more likely to choose PAVs with high and full automation than older people, which is consistent with the reported willingness-to-pay. By estimating a mixed logit model with panel data, it is revealed that expected changes in life affect the two age groups' choices of PAVs. There are more inconsistent influences of expected changes in life between the two groups than consistent influences, suggesting the presence of age-related structural differences of responses to future expectations. Diverse responses to future expectations are revealed, which policy implications are discussed. The findings support a life-oriented paradigm shift of travel behavior research and cross-sectoral transport policymaking and future sustainable society design. • Young and older people respond to expected changes in life in an opposite way, mostly. • Expected increases in in-vehicle activities could promote the ownership of AVs. • Influences of young people's expected changes in life differ across types of AVs. • Expected relocation to suburbs does not necessarily encourage the ownership of AVs. • Using AV as a moving home/office/hotel does not affect the ownership of advanced AVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of dockless bike-sharing (DBS) has made it more convenient for residents to travel within the city. The integration of public transit and DBS provides an effective method to sustainable transportation development. While some studies have accounted for heterogeneity of travel behavior, very few have considered how attitudes and preferences towards DBS affect combined travel mode choice. This study aims to reveal the effect of residents' attitude towards bike-sharing on combined travel mode choice using stated-preference data collected in Beijing, China. An integrated model of choice model and latent variables based on nested logit model (ICLV-NL) is used to incorporate two latent variables of social benefit and satisfaction with bike-sharing into the discrete choice model and thereby captures relationships between attitudinal factors and observed variables. The results indicate that compared with multinomial logit and nested logit models, the ICLV-NL model yields a better fit and explanatory power. The ICLV-NL model results show that positive impressions on bike-sharing make residents more likely to choose the integration of public transit and DBS, and the pick-up distance of DBS significantly affects the use of DBS as a feeder mode to public transit. Surprisingly, the status of DBS does not have a significant impact on travel mode choice. This paper provides more insights into the choice of the integration of DBS and public transit, which is helpful to the development of green and sustainable transportation. • An ICLV-NL model is proposed to account for the unobservable attitude factors towards DBS. • Users' attitudes, including social benefits and satisfaction with DBS, positively affect the choice of integration mode. • Female, high-education, low-income, and young passengers are more likely to utilize the integration of DBS and public transit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]