Understanding the journey: A qualitative study of the daily mobility for urban families

This study seeks to understand the travel behavior of seven families living within Metro Vancouver by using both quantitative and qualitative, ethnographic research methods. Using the techniques of interviews, trip diaries, travel narratives and ‘go-alongs,’ the findings illustrate travel behavior by detailing daily trips and the processes involved in making travel decisions. Its aims are: (1) to explore the relationship between generalization and specificity in understanding mobility choices in urban settings; (2) to detail expected and previously overlooked factors and processes that shape travel choices; and (3) to reassess the determinants of ‘modal choice’ analysis and ask what might be gained by looking beyond the basic data inputs of time, cost, and habit and the weekday commute patterns of the region.