A review of smart travel survey research

Eight years of developing a general population smart travel survey. Lessons learned from two large field tests

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) started investigating the potential of location tracking combined with machine learning in a general-population travel survey in 2017. CBS built and revised a cross-platform smartphone app with flexibility and transparency in methodology in mind. Two large-scale field tests were conducted in 2018 and in 2022-2023, randomly varying recruitment and user interface options.

n this paper, we look back and make up the score. We look at the opportunities and challenges that we anticipated to exist in 2017. We also evaluate whether we overlooked opportunities or challenges. Moreover, we look at open (research) questions. Our focus is primarily on the methodology behind ‘smart’ travel surveys, but we also touch on technological constraints and boundaries.

Klingwort, J., B. Schouten, D. Remmerswaal, D. McCool, Y. Gootzen, J. de Groot, P. Lugtig, M. Schulte (2026). Eight years of developing a general population smart travel survey: Lessons learned from two large field tests. Discussion paper. Statistics Netherlands, The Hague/Heerlen.


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