Mobility surveys on travel behaviour are generally conducted at local level and provide a basis for regional transport planning that reflects actual needs. Their first objective is to examine citizens’ current mobility behaviour and use the findings to develop viable mobility plans. Online surveys make it straightforward to collect mobility data. The following sections explain what to consider when surveying mobility behaviour and which specific and overarching questions mobility surveys address. We also provide a free questionnaire template on mobility behaviour.
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Mobility surveys as part of transport development
To achieve a sustainable shift in mobility, cities and local authorities need to collect mobility data systematically so they can identify suitable infrastructure measures. This means gathering information about citizens’ travel habits, such as their preferred modes of transport, distances travelled, frequently used routes and journey times. Surveys also usually ask where action is needed, which factors transport planning should consider and which additional mobility services citizens would like. The findings from mobility surveys and traffic studies can then inform regional transport development plans that reflect actual needs and support modern mobility strategies.
Online surveys provide a time-efficient and cost-effective way to collect mobility data and study travel behaviour as part of transport development. Online mobility surveys offer further benefits: they are easy to access and widely accepted by the public. They also enable citizens to participate in future-oriented processes and actively help shape the shift towards sustainable mobility.
Citizen surveys provide relevant data that can support citizen-focused decisions based on actual needs. Find use cases, objectives and questionnaire templates for citizen surveys here: Citizen survey questionnaire templates.
Create a citizen mobility survey
What will the mobility of the future look like, and how can a sustainable shift in mobility succeed? These broad questions cannot be answered behind a desk. Sound data is needed to assess the current situation. Transport planning must also consider citizens’ needs in order to build support for planned changes.
Citizen surveys are a valuable and effective way to identify the needs and interests of people using a regional transport network. Online surveys can examine current mobility behaviour: who uses which mode of transport, when and for what purpose? The survey results provide a clear picture of the current situation.
They can also identify local and time-specific characteristics of regional travel. Are destinations such as shopping centres, sports stadiums, cultural venues or medical centres particularly busy at certain times? Are there transport hubs where problems occur? Which roadworks cause excessive disruption to traffic flow?
Open questions about the specific challenges citizens face can also indicate what cities and local authorities should consider in transport development planning. Where are the bottlenecks in the transport network? Are there particular peak times? Would people use additional park-and-ride or car-sharing services? What needs and wishes do citizens have? Do certain routes need to be expanded, or are alternative options required? Are public transport connections adequate, and are there gaps in the cycle network?
The findings provide relevant evidence for citizen-focused transport planning decisions. Involving citizens’ wishes in the design of transport strategies also helps ensure that measures are widely accepted when implemented. Read more about the benefits of citizen surveys here: Citizen surveys: benefits, examples and objectives.
Mobility behaviour questionnaire: examples and template
Local authorities use mobility behaviour questionnaires to generate information and data that can inform regional transport planning. Mobility data helps identify urgent problems and develop solutions tailored to actual needs for a sustainable shift in mobility. Mobility surveys conducted by cities and local authorities often focus on the “mobility of the future”. To create an evidence base for future-oriented transport strategies, selected households in the relevant area are generally asked about their travel behaviour.
Specific questions in mobility surveys may cover:
- the main modes of transport used
- the quality and comfort of interchange points for passengers
- distances travelled for personal and professional purposes
- the purpose and destination of journeys
- frequently used routes
- journey times, duration and distance
- traffic volumes
- open-ended feedback
Broader questions that mobility surveys may seek to answer include:
- Why are particular modes of transport preferred for certain journeys, such as commuting?
- What measures can local authorities or cities take to promote a shift towards sustainable mobility?
- How can cycling or public transport become faster than private motorised transport?
- Where should charging infrastructure for electric cars be expanded?
- Which demand-responsive forms of mobility should be offered to improve mobility in rural areas?
- What services would be needed to influence travel behaviour in cities sustainably?
Online questionnaires capture and analyse current mobility data while also identifying citizens’ wishes and needs. Use our free questionnaire template for guidance when creating a mobility behaviour questionnaire. Click “Use” to copy the template to your LamaPoll account and customise it as required.
With LamaPoll, surveys can be created quickly and easily. The tool offers many options for individual adjustments. The help pages are useful for solving many questions independently. For special requests, competent and easily accessible customer support is available.
What is LamaPoll?
LamaPoll is a survey tool for creating employee surveys and employee satisfaction surveys online. You can use it to create, conduct and analyse every type of employee survey. Create your employee survey in just a few steps, customise it to match your organisation’s corporate design, and invite employees conveniently by email or through your intranet. You can quickly gather insights that help improve employee satisfaction. Register for LamaPoll free of charge and immediately conduct surveys or questionnaires for up to 50 employees with no obligation. If you need more responses for your online employee survey questionnaire, simply choose one of our monthly plans. You can also use our employee survey questionnaire templates and examples.

