TRIPS Project | Centralising trip surveys to standardise data collection in 2024

October 2024

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TRIPS – Website Launched

The TRIPS project  is developing Australia's first national database for land use-based trip and parking generation surveys. By centralising trip survey data, TRIPS will enable accurate assessments, reduce biases, save time, and empower engineers and planners to evaluate multi-modal transport impacts of projects. It will standardise data collection and reporting, offering up-to-date, reliable datasets for evidence-based decisions.

By linking trip generation survey data with transport accessibility indices (e.g. PTAL) and ABS Census data, TRIPS will provide a holistic view of how land uses affect travel behaviour. As a first step in using AI for transport and land use integration, TRIPS will enable smarter, data-driven decisions, supporting research and policy that reflect the complex interactions between land use and transport systems.

TRIPS is co-funded by the Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland, iMove , and the University of Sydney. For more on the project timeline, visit https://tripsdatabase.com/

TRIPS Workshop Findings from the AITPM National Conference 2024

At the AITPM National Conference in August, the TRIPS project team (Dr. Supun Perera, Prof. Michael Bell and Ben Wood) hosted a workshop that explored the challenges of trip generation practices in Australia. Visualisations summarising the workshop results are available here.

Who Attended the Workshop?

The workshop attracted a diverse group of professionals, with the majority coming from consulting firms (39.6%) and state government (22.9%). Other notable groups included local government (14.6%), academia (8.3%), and not-for-profit organisations (2.1%). This broad participation reflects the widespread interest and demand for more standardised and accessible trip generation data across sectors.

Participants came from across Australia, with the largest group hailing from Western Australia (35.4%). Other significant regions represented include New South Wales (25%), Queensland (16.7%), and Victoria (12.5%), while 4.2% of attendees came from New Zealand.

Use Frequency of Trip Rate Information

In terms of how often trip rate information is used, 42.9% of respondents reported using it every week, underscoring the importance of regularly updated and accessible data for day-to-day planning. Meanwhile, 22.9% use it once or twice a month, and 14.3% rely on it only a few times a year.

Current Challenges in Trip Generation Practices

The most pressing issue, expressed by 23.3% of participants, is the lack of confidence in the data available. This is closely followed by 21.7%, who pointed out that much of the available data is outdated. Other common concerns include the lack of access to past data (14.7%) and the high cost of conducting surveys (14%). Additionally, 11.6% of respondents mentioned that the available data formats do not allow for easy analysis, creating further inefficiencies in current processes.

Current Guidance and Sources Used

The workshop also revealed the diversity in the sources of guidance currently used by practitioners. The RMS Guide (2002) and its 2013 update remain the most commonly referenced resources used by the majority of participants. Other sources include the Draft GTIA (TfNSW, 2024), TMR QLD Dataset, and international references such as TRICS UK and ITE USA. The reliance on these varied sources underscores the need for a unified national approach to trip generation data.

Key Land Uses Requiring Trip Rate Information

Participants identified several key land uses that require reliable trip rate data. These include high-density residential and mixed-use developments (13.3% each), followed by shopping centres (11.3%), industrial areas (9.7%), and schools (9.7%). Other important land uses mentioned were local town centres, childcare facilities, office spaces, and hospitals.

Key Benefits of a National Trip Survey Database

Participants emphasized the significant advantages of a centralised national trip survey database. The top benefit, cited by 25.2%, is that such a database would provide a standardised way of collecting and reporting data, ensuring consistency and accuracy across projects. Furthermore, 23.5% highlighted the ease of filtering datasets to identify representative samples, enhancing the reliability of transportation planning inputs. Additionally, 19.3% of respondents acknowledged that the database would save time associated with preparing assessments, while 16.8% noted that it would reduce personal biases in the decision-making process.

Willingness to Use and Contribute to a National Database

The workshop results revealed a high level of interest in using/subscribing to this national trip survey database. 76% of respondents indicated they would be likely or highly likely to use TRIPS, reflecting strong demand for this resource across the industry. 67% of participants said they would be likely or highly likely to contribute data to this national trip survey database.

Conclusions

The findings from the workshop emphasize the critical need for a national trip survey database that can standardise data collection and reporting, improve accessibility, and address the challenges currently faced by transportation planners and engineers.

The insights gathered from this event will guide the ongoing development of the TRIPS project to meet these industry needs.

Would you like to get involved? Complete the travel planning survey here. The results of this survey will inform our ongoing research into the efficacy of site-based travel plans in Australia. Your input is invaluable to our research, and the survey will take just 4 minutes to complete.