Innovative pricing policies for commuting: A field experiment

Abstract Based on an innovative field experiment, this paper analyzes the effect of spatially and temporally differentiated pricing instruments on the travel behavior of commuters. The study aims to understand the underlying preferences, trade-offs, and restrictions faced by participants. The experiment uses a smartphone-based tracking technology performing automatic detection of travel modes. We recruited volunteers commuting by car to Vienna (Austria). A dedicated app recorded the commuting behavior of 95 participants throughout five weeks, including a week of pre- and post-measurement, respectively. Only a few participants changed their behavior in the expected direction. Plausible reasons are the experiment's innovative design, as well as, inconvenience related to adjusting one's schedule and mode of transport, in particular altering one's start of work.