Life-cycle effects in household travel behavior: an ecological analysis of household energy consumption

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6773663

Zimmerman, C A

The scope of research is narrowed to a single component of energy consumption - household travel. Hypotheses are formulated to test the effects of age of household members and household structure on travel over the household's life cycle. Households in contemporary American society serve as the test case with data from the 1977-78 Nationwide Personal Transportation Study. The life cycle of five hypothetical household types, representative of the range of domestic groups in American society, is used in the study. In addition to the typical family life cycle, based upon the nuclear-family pattern, four alternative household types are identified. These are single-parent households, childless-couple households, single-person households, and households of unrelated individuals. The results show that household structure does not affect travel in a simple way, because trip frequency and distance traveled do not always co-vary over the life cycle. The effects of age, however, are more straightforward. Whereas age has a direct negative effect on daily travel by adults, children's travel becomes more autonomous with age but does not increase dramatically in quanity. The utility of the life-cycle approach and the empirical results are used for practical problems of forecasting and policy analysis. Projections of future levels of travel demand based on demographic trends are made by means of the life-cycle approach, and the distributive effect of the federal government's Standby Gasoline Rationing Plan for households in different life-cycle stages is assessed. Life-cycle stage is found to be an important consideration in both analyses.

• OSTI ID: 6773663
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
298000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Consumption & Utilization
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320203* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation-- Land & Roadway
DEMAND FACTORS
DEMOGRAPHY
ENERGY CONSERVATION
HOUSEHOLDS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR