An analysis of the value of travel time savings for children

The value of travel time savings (VTTS) is one of the key issues in transportation studies, but there is little previous research on VTTS for children. In this paper, we report on a survey conducted with residents along the Hitachinaka Seaside Railway, which opened a station for children commuting to a newly built school, focussing on a comparison of VTTS between children and adults. As a result, many respondents answered that VTTS for children is more than that for adults. Half of the respondents answered as the reason for their valuation that children's commuting time is as valuable as their parents' in terms of the opportunity cost. However, more than two thirds responded that saving children's commuting time is more valuable because concerns about children's safety represent additional costs for parents. Also, there are quite a few respondents who evaluated children's potential and their future income. If VTTS for children is higher than for adults, social benefits calculated on the assumption that there is no difference between children and adults are underestimated, distorting public investment decisions in transportation planning.