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ICTs and Activities on the Move? People’s Use of Time While Traveling by Public Transportation

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Engineering Earth

Abstract

The rapid spread of mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) (e.g., laptop computers, cell phones, portable music players, wireless broadband, and the Internet) combined with the ongoing virtualization of many everyday activities (e.g., e-work, e-shopping, contacts via e-mail, chat, SMS, and blogs) could affect people’s perception and use of time spent in repetitive travel. People’s ability to perform various activities concerning work, social contacts, information seeking, services, and entertainment, even while on the move, is rapidly changing. This paper is a progress report on a study of how people spend and perceive their travel time, and the effect of mobile ICTs on this, when using public transportation. We present some preliminary findings from a web-based survey of 400 bus and train passengers conducted in an urban region of Sweden. A relationship between ICT use and a positive valuation of travel time is suggested. From a spatial point of view, this development might improve the value and competitiveness of public transportation, increase the acceptance of longer commuting trips, and fuel the extension of functional regions.

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Correspondence to Bertil Vilhelmson .

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Vilhelmson, B., Thulin, E., Fahlén, D. (2011). ICTs and Activities on the Move? People’s Use of Time While Traveling by Public Transportation. In: Brunn, S. (eds) Engineering Earth. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9920-4_10

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