Wear a GPS Device and Help Track Commuting Habits

If you think tracking devices are scary, how about wearing one for a cause?

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is looking for households and will begin contacting metro Atlantans today to ask if they would be willing to participate in a study.

The study will entail that residents record their travels for one day. Some will even be asked to wear a personal GPS device - or be asked to attach one to each vehicle in their household. The personal GPS devices are small enough to clip on a belt or purse. ARC researchers can't track a person’s movements in real time. Instead, the data will be collected when the device is turned in.

ARC wants to know how, why and where people travel so that the regional planning agency's planners can better determine which projects are most important to regional mobility.

“We encourage all those who are contacted to take the time to participate in this important travel survey,” said Chick Krautler, ARC director. “A few minutes time to participate may save you travel time in the future.”

When the travel researchers call, they will ask the head of the household to set up one weekday in the future during which all members of the household will record their daily travels. Once the date is determined, researchers will send a travel log for each household member and a GPS device to those at least 16 years of age, if the home is chosen for GPS.

ARC and its survey partner, NuStats, will survey 10,000 households at a cost of $2 million. The survey is funded by ARC and the Georgia Department of Transportation. It will be used to determine future transportation projects and plans.

This survey will update one conducted in 2001-2002 when more than 8,000 households were interviewed. 

Results of the survey will be reported late in 2012.