An evaluation of the value of time for commuting in Seoul: A life satisfaction approach

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the value of time (VOT) for commuting time according to population subgroups in Seoul, Korea, by using the life satisfaction approach. We employed both linear and ordered fixed-effect (FE) models to investigate the relationship between commuters’ subjective well-being (SWB) and commuting time using Seoul survey data collected between 2006 and 2015. The major findings are summarized as follows: First, we found that commuting time negatively affects SWB for both male and female workers, dual-earner and non-dual-earner households, and different income groups, indicating that commuting is a stressful activity for these groups. Second, we evaluated VOT for population groups and found that female workers, workers in dual-earner households, and workers with higher incomes have higher VOTs than the reference groups. © 2018, © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.