Thesis Defence: Analyzing the Efficacy of Transportation Survey Recruitment Methods

Elis Davanzo, supervised by Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi, will defend their thesis titled “Analyzing the Efficacy of Transportation Survey Recruitment Methods” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering.

An abstract for Elis Davanzo’s thesis is included below.

Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email mahmudur.fatmi@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence.

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ABSTRACT

Collecting essential data through surveys is critical for shaping our understanding of travel demand, which influences important transportation planning decisions. However, conventional data collection methods face challenges, such as declining completion rates and under-representation of specific population sub-groups. By employing diverse strategies in recruitment and data retrieval, it is possible to reach a broader and more representative sample of the population, thereby improving the overall effectiveness and accuracy of the surveys. With this motivation, this thesis examines various requirements for enhancing transportation surveys, with a particular emphasis on recruitment methods. First, an expert workshop was organized to understand the importance of transportation surveys. The workshop highlighted their pivotal role in understanding travel patterns and planning transportation. However, the consensus among participants was that traditional survey methods must evolve to stay relevant in the face of emerging trends. The session also highlighted the need for a flexible and multi-faceted approach to sample collection, recognizing the dynamic nature of technology, societal preferences, and participant demographics in making informed decisions and developing effective transportation plans. Next, the implementation of a transportation survey deployed in British Columbia, Canada, is discussed, utilizing various recruitment strategies (e.g., mail, e-mail, SMS and call). Finally, the thesis presents analyses of the efficiency of each recruitment method used. To further identify factors that influence survey completion rates, an ordered logit model is developed to examine households’ need for frequent communication to complete the survey, providing insights into the efficiency of different communication strategies. Additionally, a hazard model is formulated to investigate the time it takes for the households to complete the survey without frequent communication. Results indicate that SMS was the most effective reminder method. For example, among the self-registrants, about 69% of households that received an SMS completed the survey on the same day, with approximately 40.5% finishing within one hour. Results also found that self-registrants, older adults and single individuals need more frequent communication to finalize the survey. In contrast, without reminders, males and residents of Metro Vancouver tend to complete surveys more quickly, while single individuals and full-time workers may require more time.