The recruitment of participants (869,000 households) was done by random drawing of addresses, distributed according to geographical strata in order to ensure good representativeness of the different weighting sectors. Mainly conducted on the Web, this new way of doing things allowed exceptional participation with a large sample surveyed (around 5.4% of all households in the region). Once the data is collected, expansion factors are applied to weight the observations and ensure that the distribution of ages, household size, and gender is faithful to the reality of the population. This step makes it possible to move from the collected sample to results representative of the entire population.
A redesigned questionnaire
The survey questionnaire was revised to reduce the quantity of questions and maximize the quality of the data collected. Several measures have been put in place, such as conditional display (questions which appear or not depending on previous answers) of questions based on the region of home or destination, randomization of the order of people for the declaration of travel or even a better distribution of declaration days. Specific questions, such as those on teleworking habits, have also been added, particularly in response to changes in habits caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. All of this helped keep respondents interested and thus get as many responses as possible.
Respondents also had the option of returning to their incomplete survey at any time, again to motivate people to respond completely. Reminders are made to encourage this approach.
Data validation: a careful process
Data validation is a key, essential and very meticulous step in producing the survey. This process combines automatic and manual checks to increase the effectiveness of both methods. Each travel log containing an error identified by a script is scrupulously checked by a dedicated team of four people, who correct inconsistencies according to clear guidelines, guaranteeing a clean and consistent data set. The validated data is then compared to that reported to ensure a clear understanding of the effect of changes on the overall results.
Thanks to this accelerated and almost real-time validation process, the ARTM was able to publish the preliminary results much earlier than in previous surveys, which allows the entire mobility ecosystem in the region to have access to them more quickly. .
Comparable and valuable data
The Mobility Perspectives metropolitan survey is a veritable mine of information for all specialists (academic research, municipal elected officials, urban planners) who are interested in mobility behavior in the region. Thanks to the data from these surveys, it is possible to better understand the evolution over time of various phenomena, and to draw new lessons. With a rigorous methodology, a successful transition to online collection and simplified access to data, this survey remains an essential tool for understanding mobility in the Montreal metropolitan region.
For those interested in accessing the data, three levels are available:
- Level 1: survey partners;
- Level 2: people working for a government entity, a university as a researcher or professor, or an NPO (available later);
- Level 3: travel matrices accessible to everyone allowing wide dissemination of results and varied use of data.
To be informed of news related to the 2023 Mobility Perspectives metropolitan survey, including data availability, go to the registration portal.
