Extreme commuters’ satisfaction in China: A reference point perspective across city sizes

IF 7.7 1区工程技术 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Transportation Research Part D-transport and Environment Pub Date : 2025-07-12 DOI:10.1016/j.trd.2025.104913

Jiaxue Shang , Li Chen , Wenzhong Zhang , Jiaxin Wang

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Abstract

Numerous studies have examined how commuting time affects satisfaction, but most studies focus on individual cities and overlook differences between cities. In fact, residents in different cities may use different benchmarks to evaluate commuting time, which is a key factor in understanding satisfaction. This study utilized large-scale survey data from 40 cities in China to investigate the factors affecting extreme commuter satisfaction and inter city differences, while evaluating the effectiveness of using average urban commuting time as a benchmark. The results indicate that extreme commuters in super cities are more satisfied. Consistent with the reference point theory, when the average commuting time in a city is longer, satisfaction will increase − this effect is more pronounced in super cities. In addition, satisfaction is related to infrastructure quality and Delta index. These findings provide valuable insights for improving residents’ commuting well-being, particularly in urban planning and policy-making.

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中国极端通勤者的满意度：不同城市规模的参考点视角

许多研究都研究了通勤时间对满意度的影响，但大多数研究都集中在单个城市，忽视了城市之间的差异。事实上，不同城市的居民可能会使用不同的基准来评估通勤时间，这是理解满意度的关键因素。本研究利用来自中国40个城市的大规模调查数据，探讨了极端通勤满意度和城市间差异的影响因素，同时评估了以平均城市通勤时间为基准的有效性。结果表明，超级城市的极端通勤者满意度更高。与参考点理论一致的是，当一个城市的平均通勤时间越长，满意度就会提高——这种效应在超级城市中更为明显。此外，满意度与基础设施质量和Delta指数有关。这些发现为改善居民的通勤幸福感，特别是在城市规划和决策方面提供了有价值的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Transportation Research Part D-transport and Environment 工程技术-运输科技

CiteScore

14.40

自引率

9.20%

发文量

314

审稿时长

39 days

期刊介绍： Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment focuses on original research exploring the environmental impacts of transportation, policy responses to these impacts, and their implications for transportation system design, planning, and management. The journal comprehensively covers the interaction between transportation and the environment, ranging from local effects on specific geographical areas to global implications such as natural resource depletion and atmospheric pollution. We welcome research papers across all transportation modes, including maritime, air, and land transportation, assessing their environmental impacts broadly. Papers addressing both mobile aspects and transportation infrastructure are considered. The journal prioritizes empirical findings and policy responses of regulatory, planning, technical, or fiscal nature. Articles are policy-driven, accessible, and applicable to readers from diverse disciplines, emphasizing relevance and practicality. We encourage interdisciplinary submissions and welcome contributions from economically developing and advanced countries alike, reflecting our international orientation.