9308394 THILL The importance of constraints in spatial choice by individuals is widely recognized in geography and related disciplines, but relatively little attention has focused on the development of empirically verified models of spatial choice that effectively incorporate constraints. A potentially fruitful line of inquiry is the identification of destinations selected by travelers when travel time and other constraints are imposed on the spatial decision-making process. This project will examine the impacts of constraints on destination choice through development and testing of models based on random-utility theory. Tractable specifications of random-utility models that include the effects of travel time and other constraints will be identified, with special attention given to analysis of the effect of constraints on formation of the sets from which travelers choose their destinations. The models developed in initial phases of this project will be tested using detailed data on non-work travel behavior taken at ten-year intervals over two decades in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. This project will contribute to development of models of destination choice that more realistically account for behavioral variations among individuals, especially with respect to the role of constraints in the selection of destinations. Through model development and empirical testing, general knowledge of spatial decision making will be advanced. The results of this research also will have practical advantages for transportation planning. ***
