Autonomous Cars and Activity-based Bottleneck Model: How Do In-vehicle Activities Determine Aggregate Travel Patterns?

Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper 2022-004/VIII

55 Pages Posted: 20 Jan 2022

See all articles by Xiaojuan Yu

Xiaojuan Yu

VU University Amsterdam

Vincent A.C. van den Berg

VU University Amsterdam; Tinbergen Institute

Erik Verhoef

VU University Amsterdam

Date Written: January 18, 2022

Abstract

When traveling in an autonomous car, the travel time can be used for performing activities other than driving. This paper distinguishes users’ work-related and home-related activities in autonomous cars and proposes an activity-based bottleneck model to investigate travelers’ behavior in the morning commute, shedding light on how the scope to undertake in-vehicle activities affects travelers’ trip-timing preferences and decisions, and therewith social welfare. These welfare effects can be expected to depend on the optimality of both the market for trips, and the market for vehicles. We therefore consider different supply regimes for automobiles, and un-priced congestion versus queue-eliminating road pricing. We reveal analytically the relationship between users’ various in-vehicle activities and trip timing choices by autonomous and normal car users. Three supply regimes for autonomous cars are investigated: welfare-maximizing public supply, competitive marginal cost supply, and profit-maximizing private supply. Pricing rules under different supply regimes are compared analytically, and the relative efficiencies in terms of the welfare gains are compared numerically. Results show that travelers’ in-vehicle activity choices have significant impacts on the travel patterns, congestion externality, supply decisions and the associated welfare effects.

Keywords: Activity based modelling; Autonomous cars; Bottleneck model; Private vs public supply; Traffic congestion

JEL Classification: R48, R41, D62

Suggested Citation

Yu, Xiaojuan and van den Berg, Vincent A.C. and Verhoef, Erik, Autonomous Cars and Activity-based Bottleneck Model: How Do In-vehicle Activities Determine Aggregate Travel Patterns? (January 18, 2022). Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper 2022-004/VIII, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4012221 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4012221

Xiaojuan Yu (Contact Author)

VU University Amsterdam ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, ND North Holland 1081 HV
Netherlands

Vincent A.C. van den Berg

VU University Amsterdam ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, ND North Holland 1081 HV
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://www.feweb.vu.nl/nl/afdelingen-en-instituten/spatial-economics/staff/v-berg/index.asp

Tinbergen Institute ( email )

Gustav Mahlerplein 117
Amsterdam, 1082 MS
Netherlands

Erik Verhoef

VU University Amsterdam ( email )

Netherlands

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