Daily activity-travel scheduling behaviour of non-workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) of Canada

This paper uses household travel survey data (of the National Capital Region of Canada) and a comprehensive random utility maximizing travel options modelling approach to investigate non-workers' activity-travel scheduling behaviour. The empirical model reveals that the presence of children shapes the daily activity-travel patterns of non-workers by reducing the flexibility of out-of-home activity-type choices. Availability of private cars increases flexibility in travelling and increases the spread of spatial locations of out-of-home activities of non-workers. Income plays a significant role in non-workers' activity-travel behaviour and it seems that non-workers from lower to middle-income households are less active (return home early) than those living in higher income households. In general, it is found that male non-workers are less active than the female non-workers and it is also evident that non-workers living in single detached houses are less active (return home early) than those living in condos/apartments. These findings have an implication to health issues as the average age of non-workers is over 50 years and the majority of detached houses are far from the central business district.