Enhancing Travel Survey to Accommodate Activities in Virtual and Physical Space

The rise of online activities has reshaped travel behavior, requiring surveys that capture both physical and virtual participation. Traditional instruments emphasize out-of-home activities and miss the growing influence of telework, e-commerce, and virtual socializing, a shift accelerated by COVID-19. The Canada Travel Activity (CanTRAC) Survey, developed by DalTRAC with Canadian cities, addresses this by recording in-home and out-of-home activities and ICT use. Using landline, cellphone, social media, and panel recruitment, CanTRAC engaged 33,534 Calgary households and collected detailed household, individual, and trip data, including demographics, employment, ICT access, and virtual participation. Results show complementary strengths across recruitment modes, with traditional channels reaching older, lower-travel respondents and modern channels capturing younger, digitally active groups. Integrating both domains yields a more complete view of contemporary travel behavior and informs sustainable, inclusive transportation policy.