The SMS–GPS-Trip method: A new method for collecting trip information in travel behavior research

• New method for collecting travel behavior data based on GPS tracking and SMS technology.
• Well suited for capturing qualitative data on how respondents experience their trips.
• Well suited for capturing precise data on trip length, trip mode and trip purpose.
• Can be used to collect data for calibration and verification of traffic modeling.

This article presents a new method for collecting travel behavior data, based on a combination of GPS tracking and SMS technology, coined the SMS–GPS-Trip method. The state-of-the-art method for collecting data for activity based traffic models is a combination of travel diaries and GPS tracking data, an approach which is not well suited for capturing data on experiences surrounding trips. Currently increasing research is being done on how to incorporate such data in traffic models, and there is therefore a need for a method, which is suited to collect such data. The new method presented in this article builds on ideas from experience sampling methods (ESM) and it is well suited specifically for collecting such experience data. Given the use of SMS technology, this method makes it possible to reach a wide range of respondents. The usefulness of the new method is proven on a theoretical level and illustrated in practice through a case study.