Examining commute routes: applications of GIS and GPS technology

Hannah M Badland,J Scott Duncan,Mitch J Duncan,Melody Oliver,Suzanne Mavoa

doi:10.1007/s12199-010-0138-1

Abstract

The application of geographic information systems (GIS) to describe commute route elements is commonplace, yet the accuracy of GIS-estimated commute routes is not clear. This study compared GIS-estimated commute routes against actual routes traveled as measured using global positioning systems (GPS) to examine differences in urban form surrounding travel routes across different buffer sizes and travel modes. Thirty-seven adults from Auckland, New Zealand participated in the study between January and March 2008. Participants wore GPS units and completed a travel log for 7days. GPS data were integrated into a GIS database to ascertain commute routes. Overall, 29 commute journeys were appropriately captured by GPS. Levels of agreement between actual and shortest commute routes were dependent on the buffer size selected, built environment variable examined, and travel mode. Despite technical difficulties, GPS assessment of routes traveled is recommended to provide an accurate assessment of commute journey urban form elements.

Highlights

In recent years, a substantial amount of research has examined the relationship between the built environment and physical activity engagement
One study delimited the sample to adults commuting less than 5 km to access their workplace and compared street connectivity, mixed land use, and residential density using geographic information systems (GIS)-estimated measures. The results showed those who commuted through the most connected street networks, as determined by the shortest GIS-estimated street network commute, were sixfold as likely to travel by Transport-related physical activity (TPA) modes when compared with adults traveling through the least connected environments [6]
Our results illustrate that levels of agreement between the actual and the shortest commute route were dependent on the buffer size selected, built environment variable examined, and travel mode addressed

Summary

Introduction

A substantial amount of research has examined the relationship between the built environment and physical activity engagement. GIS is becoming a progressively popular measure to objectively assess the built environment–TPA relationship as it allows complex physical variables, such as mixed land use, residential density, and street connectivity, to be examined with relative ease Research suggests that these three urban form measures influence TPA [5]. The pilot study reported here builds upon the emerging evidence base by comparing GPS- and GIS-estimated commute routes, built environment commute route variables, and travel modes for adults commuting between a residential and occupational setting and seeks to investigate whether the GIS-estimated shortest commute route can be appropriately used to estimate the types of environment that people travel through These findings will determine in part whether it is appropriate to apply a GIS-estimated commute network, or if simultaneous actual route measures are required for travel research in the adult population. This has important implications for research methods in this field and provides a clearer understanding of how built environments are associated with travel behaviors in the adult population

Methods

Results

Discussion