As with Question 1, we recommend including the reference period and the desired averaging method in the question text itself, rather than in the instructions for completing the survey. It might also be advisable to underline the specific mode of transportation being asked about in Questions 1–3. Although the tendency of some test participants to select “Less than once a week” even though they did not use public transportation for recurring trips does not represent accurate response behavior, it reliably distinguished between occasional public transportation users and non-users in the pretest.
Thinking about the past four weeks:
On how many days per week have you made your everyday trips using public transport (such as commuting to work, shopping, or leisure activities)?
Information on the aim and purpose of the test:
The question is designed to determine the average number of days per week over the past four weeks on which respondents have traveled their daily routes using public transportation. The term “routes” refers to journeys from A to B that have a specific destination and excludes trips that begin and end at home and whose primary purpose is simply to get around (e.g., city tours). The term “daily” in the question refers to recurring activities, such as the examples listed in parentheses.
As part of the testing, the aim was to determine how the test persons went about calculating the weekly average. To this end, the study examined how they understood the reference period and whether they took it into account. Test participants were asked whether they understood the terms “routes” and “daily” in the intended sense, and which modes of public transportation they had in mind when answering the question—or whether there were any they did not consider even though they use them.
Findings:
Most participants answered the question quickly and without difficulty. They made use of the entire range of response options.
In most cases, the response given matched the test persons’ mobility behavior. The two test persons who selected “Never” had not used public transportation for years (TP08, 12), while test persons who selected options ranging from “1–3 days a week” to “6–7 days a week” used public transportation with corresponding frequency in their daily lives.
§ “During the week, I take the train almost every day, either to work or somewhere else. I usually take the train to visit friends, too, and on top of that, I end up taking the train at least once over the weekend as well.” (TP02, Answer: 6–7 days a week)
§ “Shopping, leisure, work. Just as others drive, I take public transportation.” (TP03, Answer: 4–5 days a week)
§ “I work three times a week, and on those days I always drive part of the way and then take the streetcar the rest of the way. Other than that, not really.” (TP07, Answer: 1–3 days a week)
§ “I just don’t use them at all. I have my e-bike, so I can get anywhere with it. I don’t mind rain or bad weather either.” (TP08, Answer: Never)
In the case of the two test persons who selected “Less than once a week” (TP05, 09), however, it appeared as though they should have answered “Never,” since they did not make daily trips by public transportation (see below).
One participant did not realize upon first reading Question 2 that the question was now about public transportation and again stated how many days a week she drives a car (TP01). It was only during the cognitive follow-up questions that the participant realized her mistake. She stuck with her answer “6–7 days a week,” since she mostly used her car to drive to the nearest train station and take the train into the city from there. However, during the course of the interview, she noted that “4–5 days a week” would have been more accurate, since she uses her car exclusively for trips that do not lead into the city. She recommended underlining the words “public transportation” in the question text.
How do the test persons interpret the reference period, and do they take it into account in their answers?
The participants’ responses indicated that, although most had read the instruction “Please think about the last four weeks,” this was not (the sole) determining factor in their answers. Similar to Question 1, the participants distinguished only in a few cases between their behavior over the past four weeks and that of a typical week. Even Test person 02, whose travel behavior regarding car trips had been atypical over the past four weeks, stated that her use of public transportation had been the same as always.
“I thought about both the last four weeks and what is typical. At first, I thought about the last four weeks. Then I decided that the last four weeks are relatively representative.” (TP02)
However, another test person’s comments indicated that the past few weeks had been rather atypical in terms of her use of public transportation. In her response, she referred to her typical behavior.
“I thought about my daily trips, like when I visit my family or when I visit friends. I take the bus a lot—I use public transportation a lot. I travel four to five days a week, sometimes even more. Right now I’m at home because it’s vacation, but otherwise I take the train and public transportation a lot.” (TP03, Answer: 4–5 days a week)
Ultimately, two participants specified a different time frame than the one stated in the question, likely because this time frame allowed them to provide a clearer statement about their use of public transportation. For example, one participant, who is still a student, thought of the past three months, which corresponded to the lecture period of the previous semester (TP01). Another participant recalled two instances in which they had used public transportation in the past two months and referred to this time period in their response (TP09).
Were the terms “routes” and “everyday” understood in the intended sense?
Almost all of the test persons thought about their daily lives and how they travel their usual routes.
§ “During the week, I take the train almost every day, either to work or somewhere else. I usually take the train to visit friends, too, and on top of that, I end up taking the train at least once over the weekend as well. Yes, I think it’s typically about six to seven days a week.” (TP02, Answer: 6–7 days a week)
§ “I take the train to visit my daughter once a week.” (TP06, Answer: 1–3 days a week)
§ “I work three times a week, and on those days I always drive part of the way and then take the streetcar the rest of the way. Other than that, not really.” (TP07, Answer: 1–3 days a week)
§ “When it comes to leisure activities here in our metropolitan area, I like to take the bus or streetcar. And that’s usually about 1–3 days a week. So more like 1–2 days—mostly going to the movies or the theater or some other cultural event, or going out to eat.” (TP10, Answer: 1–3 days a week)
Two participants showed inconsistent response patterns when answering this question compared to Question 1 (TP05, 09). In both cases, the participants never used public transportation for recurring, everyday trips, but only on special occasions. Both answered “Less than once a week” instead of “Never.”
Test person 05 explained that she had taken the streetcar once last month to attend a work-related event. In response to Question 1, however, the same test person had not counted a taxi ride to a one-time event. Test pÜerson 09 recalled that she had taken the train to an appointment at a clinic and that she also preferred to travel by train when on vacation.
“Because I was thinking about a train trip I took 14 days ago. I used public transportation then. When I travel longer distances—for example, to vacation spots, or to this particular clinic—I make sure to take the train. Six weeks ago, I also chose to take a bus trip for vacation with some friends.” (TP09)
What modes of transportation do the test persons think of when answering?
The test persons demonstrated a consistent understanding of public transportation, which included both local and long-distance trains as well as roads and buses.
§ “A typical week for me doesn’t involve taking the ICE to visit my aunt or anything like that. That’s why I was thinking of the S-Bahn, the tram, and similar modes of transportation—in other words, the ones I generally use every day.” (TP01)
§ “Buses, trams, ICE trains—everything. I really don’t use any of them at all; in fact, I haven’t used any of them at all in the last four weeks—which is, after all, a fairly short period of time.” (TP08)
In response to Question 2, one participant mentioned her e-scooter, which she considers an alternative to public transportation, but did not classify it as a form of public transportation (TP03).
