GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMS FOR PERSONAL TRAVEL SURVEYS

This paper describes a project in which a small, user-friendly mailable unit including a Global Positioning System (GPS) element was developed for use in personal surveys to capture variables that would be entered by the vehicle driver using a menu. The unit allows for the collection of travel data over several days. Benefits are seen in: improving the quality of travel behavior data, and reducing respondent burden. Technical issues for hardware, software, and comparison of results between self-reported travel and machine- recorded travel are provided.