GEV-based destination choice models that account for unobserved similarities among alternatives

This paper investigates the destination choice problem in transportation planning processes. Most models assume a Multinomial Logit (MNL) form for the problem. The MNL cannot account for unobserved similarities which exist among choice alternatives.The purpose of this paper is to investigate alternative destination choice model structures, focusing on closed-form models. The paper reviews recent GEV formulations and discusses the adaptation of these models to destination choice situation. In addition the paper presents a new model structure composed of three hierarchical levels: it assumes a choice process composed of a broad selection of zones based on a specific land use characteristic (in this case, presence of shopping center) and then a finer selection of zones based on a geographical characteristic (in this case, adjacent zones).To illustrate the similarity measures of selected GEV formulations and the new model structure the paper specifies, estimates and compares destination choice models for weekday shopping trips based on a revealed preference survey. The paper discusses the structure of the proposed choice models, similarity measures and implementation issues related to the GEV destination choice models.