The Association Between Travel and Satisfaction with Travel and Life: Evidence from the Twin Cities

Satisfaction with life (SWL) is a global judgment of life, which includes family, work, social life among others. Although previous studies have explored the impact of the major life domains on SWL, few have focused on travel. Travel presumably affects satisfaction with travel (SWT), which in turn contributes to SWL. Using data from residents in the Minneapolis’St. Paul metropolitan area (Twin Cities), we employ structural equations models to explore the relationships between travel and SWT/SWL. As expected, SWT has a positive association with SWL. Vehicle miles driven is positively associated with SWL but negatively associated with SWT, and therefore, its total effect on life satisfaction is insignificant. Most measures of travel have negative associations with SWL through SWT, consistent with the theory of disutility of travel. However, the detrimental effect is not large. Because having a driver’s license is positively associated with SWL, planning strategies should be developed to meet the daily needs of those without a license and to improve their life satisfaction in an automobile-oriented society.