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Surveys

Surveys

SANDAG conducts surveys to help answer questions about how we can improve the way people get around the region as the population grows, new travel choices emerge, and travel patterns evolve. The surveys we conduct help us plan for complex mobility issues facing the San Diego region. 

All information collected in our surveys will remain strictly confidential. We are committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and security of your personal information. We take this responsibility seriously. Contact information will be kept separate from the responses and destroyed after the study is over. For more information on SANDAG surveys, please review the study privacy policy or contact sandagsurveys@sandag.org.  

Current Surveys 

San Diego County Transportation Study 

SANDAG is currently conducting the 2022 San Diego County Transportation Study to better understand the transportation needs of San Diego region residents. The information collected will be vital for planning and prioritizing future transportation improvements as the population grows, new travel choices emerge, and travel patterns evolve. Resource Systems Group, Inc. (RSG), an independent research firm, is administering the survey on behalf of SANDAG. Residents are asked to participate by either using an app called rMove™ on a smartphone, online, or via a call center. 

To get started, invited participants should download the rMove™ app from the Android Google Play or Apple App Store.

San Diego Regional Establishment and Commercial Vehicle Survey

The 2022 San Diego Regional Establishment and Commercial Vehicle Survey is currently being conducted to better understand the rapid changing travel behavior of the commercial vehicle landscape, especially the last mile delivery types. The survey will help inform improvements in mobility, accessibility, and connectivity for the region as the population grows, new travel modes emerge, and travel patterns evolve. ETC Institute, an independent research firm, is administering the survey on behalf of SANDAG. Participants will be asked to participate by using a cell phone-based app, online, or via a call center.

The survey involves questions about commercial vehicle information, as well as travel details. All information collected as part of this study will remain strictly confidential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this study all about?

This study collects information about your daily transportation habits: How do you travel? How far do you go? How much does it cost? Our goal is to get a complete picture of regional transportation patterns to better plan for future improvements in our community.

Why should I participate?

Your participation ensures that residents like you are fully represented in our regional transportation plans. Technologies and travel behaviors are changing quickly, and we need your help now to plan for the future.

How was I selected to participate?

If you received your invitation by first-class mail, your address was selected at random from across the San Diego region. Random sampling is an important part of making sure the study represents the entire region. If you received an invitation by e-mail, then you were on a distribution list from Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) or one of the local Community Based Organizations (CBO).

Can other members of my household participate?

Yes! Other household members (who live with you in your home) are strongly encouraged to participate with the same password. Just list their names when you sign up in rMove. If they download rMove and complete the study at the same time, they also will receive a gift card!

How much time does it take to participate?

It takes three minutes to get started and about five minutes per day for approximately seven days to complete the full study. The rMove app helps to reduce the effort required to capture your travel data.

How does the rMove travel survey smartphone app work?

Once it is installed and running, rMove will record your travel. A few minutes after you stop traveling, rMove will ask you about the details of your trip. The app also will ask a few questions at the end of each day. You can answer these questions any time during the day, but please do not answer them while driving! Participants should keep their phones with them any time they travel.

How is my personal privacy protected?

We are committed to your privacy and we take it very seriously. For more information, please review the study privacy policy.

What if I don’t have a smartphone?

That is okay! You can participate on the website or by calling the call center number listed on the invitation.

What do I get for participating?

If you complete all trip surveys and daily surveys during the survey period, you will receive a gift card (based upon the participant's selection when they download the app) about three weeks later. Your participation also will ensure that residents like yourself are fully represented in our regional transportation plans.

What if I don’t travel much?

No matter how much or little you travel, information about your transportation habits will help improve regional transportation planning. Remember to include short trips you made by walking, biking, or using any other mode of travel, even if you don't drive.

What if my transportation habits during the survey aren’t my “typical” habits?

That’s no problem - we still encourage you to participate. We’ll also ask how you typically travel.

Who is sponsoring this survey?

This survey is sponsored by SANDAG, with additional support from Caltrans.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this study all about?

This study collects information about your daily transportation habits: How do you travel? How far do you go? How much does it cost? Our goal is to get a complete picture of regional transportation patterns to better plan for future improvements in our community.

Why should I participate?

Your participation ensures that residents like you are fully represented in our regional transportation plans. Technologies and travel behaviors are changing quickly, and we need your help now to plan for the future.

How was I selected to participate?

If you received your invitation by first-class mail, your address was selected at random from across the San Diego region. Random sampling is an important part of making sure the study represents the entire region.

Can other members of my household participate?

Yes! Other household members (who live with you in your home) are strongly encouraged to participate if they also drive a commercial vehicle.

How much time does it take to participate?

The app helps to reduce the effort required to capture your travel data.

How does the rMove travel survey smartphone app work?

Once it is installed and running, the app will record your travel. A few minutes after you stop traveling, the app will ask you about the details of your trip. The app also will ask a few questions at the end of each day. You can answer these questions any time during the day, but please do not answer them while driving! Participants should keep their phones with them any time they travel.

How is my personal privacy protected?

We are committed to your privacy and we take it very seriously. For more information, please review the study privacy policy.

What if I don’t have a smartphone?

That is okay! You can participate on the website or by calling the call center number listed on the invitation.

What do I get for participating?

If you complete all trip surveys and daily surveys during the survey period, you will receive a gift card. Your participation also will ensure that residents like yourself are fully represented in our regional transportation plans.

What if I don’t travel much?

No matter how much or little you travel, information about your transportation habits will help improve regional transportation planning. Remember to include short trips you made by walking, biking, or using any other mode of travel, even if you don't drive.

What if my transportation habits during the survey aren’t my “typical” habits?

That’s no problem - we still encourage you to participate. We’ll also ask how you typically travel.

Who is sponsoring this survey?

This survey is sponsored by SANDAG, with additional support from Caltrans.

Recurring Surveys

The SANDAG Commute Behavior Survey collects data on commute preferences and interest in using alternatives to driving alone. The survey also evaluates the impact of shared mobility services, park & rides, and technology on commute travel choices. The 2018 survey was conducted in partnership with the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and collected responses from over 4,000 employees from San Diego and Western Riverside counties.

2018 Commute Behavior Survey

2013 Commute Behavior Survey 

SANDAG conducts the Onboard Transit Passenger Survey every five years to better understand how people use transit to travel throughout the San Diego region as patterns continue to change. The information collected is used to make improvements to transit infrastructure and service. The latest survey was conducted in 2020, between February and December. Working together with our agency partners, Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD), we administer this survey on bus, trolley, and train routes to identify areas of improvement and implement solutions.

Survey Archives

SANDAG partnered with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to conduct a large-scale multi-jurisdictional survey of ride-hailing users, non-users, and drivers in select communities of the San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties, and San Francisco Bay area regions. Data collected from these surveys were incorporated into our respective transportation models, improving each agency’s understanding of the impact of ride-hailing services on travel behavior and the transportation system, and informing our transportation system investments. Results were released in 2020. SANDAG will pursue additional opportunities for research partnerships using this dataset.

The arrival of COVID-19 in California triggered a statewide shelter-in-place mandate in March 2020, effectively shuttering many sectors of the world’s fifth largest economy for several months and sending ripple effects through most aspects of daily life. In addition to the direct economic impacts, including job losses, salary cuts, and reduced spending, the threat of COVID-19 and the closure of non-essential businesses dramatically altered how and where people work, play, shop, and travel. Although the State began a phased reopening of the economy within several months to operate safely during the pandemic many businesses were compelled to shift to a remote work model, with employees working from home, rather than commuting to a central work site.

Remote Working in the San Diego Region: A Survey of Businesses and Employees

2021 Remote Work Survey 

Resources

Related Documents

Infobits: Ride-Hailing in the San Diego Region

2020 Crossborder Survey

2019 Crossborder Xpress Survey Report

2016 Household Travel Behavior Survey Report (Volume II)

2016 Household Travel Survey Report (Volume I)

2015 On-Board Transit Passenger Survey Report

2010 Parking Strategies Survey

Visitor Survey (starts on page 84)

San Diego Region-Baja California Crossborder Transportation Study

Impacts of Border Delays at California – Baja California Land Ports of Entry