Abstract

ESRI GIS & GPS Devices for Travel Behavior Surveys
Track: Urban and Regional Planning
Authors: Timothy Michalowski

Abt SRBI is pioneering the use of GPS devices for travel survey research by conducting the largest GPS travel survey ever completed in the USA. This project consists of tracking all travel activity for 3,000+ households (12,000+ participants) in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. Survey respondents carry GPS devices to record travel activity over a 3 day period. This project will result in over 200 million GPS data points collected representing 30,000+ total days of travel. This innovative GIS/GPS data collection technique offers new potential for transportation surveys without traditional paper diaries.

Abt SRBI utilizes ArcGIS 10 Desktop / ArcGIS Server 10 technology for advanced data processing. ArcGIS Modelbuilder allows automated GIS geocoding, data processing, and spatial analysis. Web-based GIS applications are used to disseminate complex travel information in a user-friendly manner for reporting, project tracking and informed decision making. These ESRI GIS tools add great value to travel survey projects.