A Web-Based Diary and Companion Smartphone app for Travel/Activity Surveys

This paper details the development and deployment of an online seven day travel/activity diary and companion smartphone app in Sydney, Australia. The diary employs several innovative features to simplify data entry, while the app generates maps to assist recall. Based on 847 participants, 76% complete all seven days, 16,361 of 16,386 recorded trips are provided with complete details, trip entry times average two minutes/trip and three-quarters of trips entered within 24 hours of being made. Over half the participants download the app with strong indications this improves the accuracy of trip reporting.