Prof. Maya Abou Zeid

American University of Beirut, Lebanon

April 26, 2012, 12:15, Room GC C3 30 (click here for the map)

Travel Behavior Models and Applications to Time-of-Travel, Value of Time, and Mode Switching Decisions

<p>Travel behavior models predict individual decisions related to various travel dimensions, such as the choice of auto ownership, activity patterns, destinations visited, modes of transportation, routes, and departure times. They are used as part of decision support systems by transportation planners and policy makers to predict travelers' responses and traffic impacts resulting from infrastructure (e.g. road widening), operational (e.g. public transportation service improvement), or policy interventions (e.g. congestion pricing). The accuracy of these decision support tools depends on the richness embedded in the travel behavior models. </p><p>This talk will give an overview of some recent developments in the area of travel behavior modeling with applications to modeling time-of-travel choice accounting for the cyclicality of time-of-travel, modeling heterogeneity across individuals in the value of travel time savings arising from different attitudes towards travel modes, and modeling mode switching from car to public transportation in relation to travel happiness using recent experiments conducted with habitual car drivers in Switzerland and in Boston. The applications show how insights from behavioral theories can be used to enrich the travel demand models and make them more policy-sensitive.</p>

Bio

Maya Abou-Zeid is an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the American University of Beirut and a research affiliate of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research interests include travel behavior modeling, urban transportation planning, market research, and road safety.