Abstract

This study explores gender differences in commute behavior with a focus on two-earner households using data from the 2001, 2009 and 2017 U.S. National Household Travel Surveys (NHTS). To understand whether gender differences are shrinking or persistent in terms of commute distances, we first analyze these differences by assessing descriptive statistics and t-test across multiple population sub-categories and trip purposes. We then employ Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) models on the pooled data in order to analyze the determinants of the household total commute distance and share of women’s commute distance. Our study reveals: (1) gender gap in commute distances has narrowed over the years, however the magnitude of change is small; (2) women continue to have shorter commute distances; (3) commute mode, presence of children, and occupation-related characteristics affect gender gaps in commuting.

摘要

本研究使用 2001 年、2009 年和 2017 年美国全国家庭旅行调查 (NHTS) 的数据，探讨了通勤行为中的性别差异，重点关注双职工家庭。为了了解通勤距离方面的性别差异是正在缩小还是持续存在，我们首先通过评估描述性统计数据和t-跨多个人口子类别和旅行目的进行测试。然后，我们对汇总数据采用看似无关的回归 (SUR) 模型，以分析家庭总通勤距离和女性通勤距离所占份额的决定因素。我们的研究表明：（1）通勤距离的性别差距多年来有所缩小，但变化幅度很小；(2) 女性的通勤距离继续缩短；(3) 通勤方式、孩子的存在和职业相关特征影响通勤中的性别差距。