Title: Analysis of a Method for Bias Reduction in Electronic Travel Surveys (Revised) Re-submission Date: November 15, 2011

摘要

Representative and up to date household travel data is crucial evidence for transportationplanners and political authorities to make proper decisions on improving and maintaining ourinfrastructure. This research investigates the viability of Internet-based surveys to gather thisinformation through comparing demographics and travel behavior among various levels ofInternet-users. Data is gathered from an electronic, intercept-based household travel survey.Internet-use and daily number of non-auto trips are modeled with multiple regression, withemployment status found to be a key indicator of each. This study finds that Internet-basedsurveys may come as a disadvantage for the unemployed, as their potential underrepresentationfrom less Internet-use may lead to inequitable transportation planning through less focus onpublic transit. Conclusions recommend supplemental survey methods such as those presented inthis study should accompany Internet-based household travel surveys. Furthermore it isrecommended demographic differences and mode choice options be included for thoseinvestigating the differences in travel behavior among ICT users.