Lone Star Travel Survey 3.9

The Lone Star Travel Survey app is developed to streamline the administration of household travel surveys for public agencies. Participation in each survey is strictly by invitation only, with participants being part of a randomly selected household that has consented to be part of the survey. ETC Institute serves as the app creator and the consultant overseeing the travel survey process, with the ultimate ownership of the data residing with a local, regional, or statewide public agency such as a Department of Transportation. The name of the data owner is clearly disclosed within the app and communicated in advance to all participating households.

Household members aged 18 and older, or 13 and older with parental permission, are required to download and install the app, logging in with a unique PIN representing their household. Participants then select their provided nickname or name from a list of household members to accurately attribute their trips. Prior to app installation, participants have furnished their contact details through an online or phone survey, enabling ETC Institute staff to reach out for any queries or clarifications to maintain the accuracy of the user’s trip diary during or after the data collection period.

Upon login, the app automatically records stops made by the user during a designated period, typically 24 hours. Users are prompted to review these stops and respond to a few questions about each stop before submitting the completed trip diary directly from the app.

Users are informed that while using the app on their smartphone or tablet, their GPS location is utilized to identify and log their stops and to aid in plotting their vehicle’s estimated travel route, facilitating the stop review process. In addition to GPS data, with user consent, the app leverages the device's accelerometer and gyroscope sensors to validate that a stop has been made. ETC maintains strict adherence to privacy protocols to safeguard each participant's personal information, with our comprehensive data privacy policy readily accessible for review on our company's website via a direct link provided on this page.