GPS-based smartphone integrated travel diary and time-use data collection: challenges and lessons learned

Abstract

Travel behaviour and time-use data are two vital data sources for travel demand modelling. Travel behaviour is traditionally collected through household travel surveys, enhanced by using GPS-aware smartphone apps for passive location data collection. However, recruiting individuals willing to install these apps with sustained motivation to continue participation has been a critical challenge. This paper shares insights from a travel and time-use data collection procedure in Chicago and Sydney using the Fourstep app. Social media platforms were utilised as a solution to recruit participants in Chicago, where an international market research company failed to accomplish the task. This paper also discusses the challenges we faced and suggests ways to overcome them, offering valuable guidance to researchers in recruiting participants for smartphone application-based data collection. It also offers an analysis of travel, time-use, and multitasking behaviours based on the data collected from the Chicago and Sydney samples.