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Comparing Trip Diaries with GPS Tracking: Results of a Comprehensive Austrian Study

Transport Survey Methods

ISBN: 978-1-78-190287-5, eISBN: 978-1-78-190288-2

Publication date: 29 January 2013

Abstract

Purpose — In order to analyse applicability, comparability and limitations of GPS technology in travel surveys, different mobility survey techniques were tested in an Austrian pilot study.

Methodology/approach — Four groups of voluntary respondents recorded their travel behaviour over a time period of three consecutive days. The groups were assigned to three different and combined methods of data collection: Paper–pencil trip diaries, passive GPS tracking, active GPS tracking and prompted recall interviews.

Findings — The resulting mobility parameters show that self-reported paper– pencil surveys yield accurate sociodemographic information on the respondents as well as trip purposes and modes of transportation, although too few trips are reported. Passive GPS-based methods minimize the strain for respondents. Methods that combine GPS-based data collection and questionnaire provide the most reliable mobility data at the moment.

Research limitations/implications — Due to funding restrictions the sample sizes had to be relatively small (235 participants). Further development in research methodology will increase the effectiveness of automated data analysis, for example more accurate detection of activities and transport modes. The usefulness of GPS-based data collection in a large-scale surveys is planned to be tested in the next Austrian national travel survey.

Originality/value of paper — The pilot study allows a detailed comparison of traditional and GPS-based travel survey methods for the first time, due to data collection combined with prompted recalls.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

The authors of this paper want to thank all partners in the MobiFit project, especially Gerd Sammer and Rene Wally from the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna as well as Max Herry and Rupert Tomschy from Herry Consult, Vienna, without whose contribution this paper would not have been possible.

Citation

Kohla, B. and Meschik, M. (2013), "Comparing Trip Diaries with GPS Tracking: Results of a Comprehensive Austrian Study", Zmud, J., Lee-Gosselin, M., Munizaga, M. and Carrasco, J.A. (Ed.) Transport Survey Methods, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 305-320. https://doi.org/10.1108/9781781902882-016

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013 Emerald Group Publishing Limited