Analysing the association of dissonance between actual and ideal commute time and commute satisfaction

Many studies have indicated that commute satisfaction is affected by commute time. However, the dissonance between people's actual and ideal commute time and its effects on travel satisfaction have not been adequately explored in previous research. By using survey data from Xi'an, China, this study examines whether respondents travelling with an ideal commute time will have higher levels of travel satisfaction compared to those travelling with non-ideal commute times. Results from this study, analysing self-reported actual and ideal commute trip durations of 833 respondents, suggest that less than 20% of the participants travel with their ideal commute time and that the dissonance between actual and ideal commute time has a significant impact on travel satisfaction. Commute satisfaction is highest for respondents travelling with their ideal commuting time, followed by those whose actual commute time is shorter than ideal. Respondents whose actual commute time is longer than the ideal commute time experience the lowest levels of travel satisfaction. Moreover, commute satisfaction decreases when the inconsistency between actual and ideal commute time increases. These results suggest that the effect of commute duration on travel satisfaction might be overestimated and partly mediated by people's preferred commute time. Finally, we also found that the dissonance between actual and ideal commute time significantly differs according to the chosen travel mode, which might partly explain differences in commute satisfaction according to the chosen mode. After controlling for commute time dissonance, the effects of commute time and travel mode on commute satisfaction are weak