Evaluating the Impact of Childcare Stations with Pick-up and Drop-off Services Use on Reducing Pick-up and Drop-off Time Reduction among Railway Commuters

In recent years, the use of childcare facilities in Japan has increased, in parallel with the advancement of women in society.However, balancing convenience in pick-up and drop-off and childcare quality remains a challenge.This study identifies priority areas for childcare stations with pick-up and drop-off services and develops an activity time allocation model, considering the interaction between husbands and wives.The model shows that using such facilities can reduce pick-up and drop-off hours and potentially increase women's paid work hours, and this increase in paid work supports women's active participation in the workforce.The analysis finds that areas near stations with many high-rise apartments or long-distance commuters are especially suitable.A case study further reveals that saving just one minute in pick-up and drop-off time can lead to an increase of approximately 0.34 minutes in paid work time.