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Frequently Asked Questions
Study Background & Purpose
Survey Completion
Prizes
Your Privacy
Who are we (Ipsos)?
Contact Information
What is a travel survey?
It’s simply a log or diary of the trips your household makes on a designated day. Top
How long does it take to complete the survey?
Approximately 10-25 minutes depending on the size of your household and number of trips. It is extremely important all your data is entered completely and accurately. You can also complete the survey by telephone with one of our support desk staff by calling us toll-free at 1-800-511-6644. Top
What kinds of questions are asked?
The first section of the survey contains questions about your household and the people in your household. The final section asks questions about the trips taken by every member of your household 5 years of age or older on a particular weekday (your Travel Day). Top
How was I selected for the survey?
Your household was selected at random from households across the Okanagan. A limited number of households are invited to join the study, so the few minutes you take to participate will have a big impact. The survey is voluntary, but to truly represent the travel behaviour of all types of residents in your neighbourhood, we hope that you will choose to participate. Top
Why are you collecting demographic information about my household?
Travel behaviour is usually influenced by demographic factors such as household size, age, income and employment status. Having this information helps us understand the transportation needs of the different segments of the population. Please be assured that all personal information will be collected and stored in accordance with our obligations to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy ACT (FOIPPA). Top
Why are you collecting information about my household’s trips?
Having accurate information on the travel patterns of residents will enable transportation planners to assess current transportation needs, identify trends and develop transportation strategies and improvements. The City of Kelowna, City of Vernon, and the other local governments in the Central Okanagan area relies on Okanagan Travel Survey data to monitor and analyze trends and patterns in how people and goods move in the region as a result of growth and development. The data helps to inform regional policy and decision-making. Top
When are you collecting data?
We are collecting data from October to November 2024. Top
Which communities are being surveyed?
We are surveying residents from Kelowna, Vernon, West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, Lake Country, Peachland, and electoral areas in the Regional District of Central Okanagan. Top
Who in my household should complete the survey?
We encourage everyone aged 16+ to complete the survey themselves. However, if that person is not available, we ask that the person most familiar with the daily travel habits of each member of your household completes the survey. Top
My survey day is not a typical day for my household, should I still do the survey?
Yes, it is fine if that day is not typical for your household. In fact, we need to include these types of days in our survey. Top
What day of the week should I report on?
We are interested in your travel on a recent previous weekday. It is important that you provide a snapshot of what you actually did on that day, even if it was not a typical day, or even if you did not travel. Top
What constitutes a trip?
A trip is a one-way journey from one location to a destination for a single purpose. A trip may include more than one mode of travel, such as walking and transit.

  • It is important to report all trips taken for transportation (not recreation or leisure), even for a short distance, on foot for instance.
  • If you stopped off on your way to somewhere else, such as to drop off a child at school or pick up a coffee, then that journey would be two trips. The return portion of a journey is also considered a separate trip.
  • Report all trips, whether made by walking, car, truck, bicycle, transit or any other mode of travel.
  • If you are employed, report your trips for business meetings and work-related purposes. Unless you are a commercial driver (see note below).
  • If you are employed and work from more than one location in a given day (e.g., you make site visits), the journey to and from these locations would count as a trip.
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What does NOT count as a trip?
Here are some examples of activities you should not include:
  • Walking the dog around the block and returning to the same place.
  • Jogging around the neighbourhood and returning to the same place. (However, if you jog to work, please report jogging to work as a trip to work.)
  • Walking between a parking lot and your destination (ie. At a shopping mall)
  • Walking between classes on campus or within the same building complex, such as an office
  • Travelling completely outside of the Okanagan region
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How precise do locations need to be?
We will ask you where you travelled to. Please try to describe locations as precisely as possible, to the accuracy of street address. Use the Google Map provided to search for a specific business or place, or double click on the map to set a ‘pushpin’ marker. You can drag the marker to the exact location. If possible, try to avoid placing markers at intersections – drag them to your actual destination.

The confidentiality of any information collected is protected under the provisions of the Act. Any information obtained from each household is processed, stored, and used in a form that does not permit any particular household to be identified. Click here to see our Privacy Statement.
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How do I record multi-mode transportation trips?
All transportation modes used for a single trip should be recorded. Please record the transportation modes used from first to last.

If you used more than 3 modes of transportation, please record the additional mode(s) in the “other specify” category. 		Top
I’m a commercial driver, do I record my commercial delivery trip?
We understand that it would be very difficult for commercial drivers to record all their trips and we certainly don’t expect them to do so.

If you or someone in your household is a commercial driver (bus driver, rideshare or taxi driver, courier, traveling salesman): You do not have to tell us about the all the work trips made for commercial deliveries, or while driving a taxi or bus. But please report the following:
  • The first trip to where the workday started (terminal, office) or the first delivery or stopping point if the delivery/work schedule started directly from home.
  • The final work-related stop, if it is different from the one above.
  • A return trip to your home or other non-work-related location at the end of the workday.
  • All personal trips by any mode of travel.
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My family member made the exact same trips as I did on our assigned travel day; do I still need to fill out their trip information?
Yes, every member of your household 5 years of age or older would need to have a separate travel survey with all the trips recorded. Top
Are there incentives for participation?
Households that complete the survey will receive a $5 gift card to Amazon or Starbucks, or they can choose to donate the value of the gift card to United Way. Each household that completes the survey is eligible to enter a prize draw. You could win:
  • One $1,000 Visa gift card;
  • One of 4 $250 Visa gift cards;
  • One of 10 $100 Visa gift cards
Your chances of winning a prize are approximately 1 in 380. A total of $3,000 in prizes will be awarded. The prize draw is administered by Ipsos and will be drawn once the survey administration period is completed. 		Top
Who is providing the incentives?
Prizes are administered and procured by Ipsos as an incentive to complete the survey as a regular course of business. Top
Do I need to complete the entire survey to qualify for the incentive?
Yes, all members of your household 5 years of age or older must answer all questions and complete the survey for the assigned survey day to be qualified for the incentive. Top
What are the draw prizes?
Upon completion of the survey, your household will be entered to win:
  • One $1,000 Visa gift card;
  • One of 4 $250 Visa gift cards;
  • One of 10 $100 Visa gift cards
Your chances of winning a prize are approximately 1 in 380. A total of $3,000 in prizes will be awarded. 		Top
When will the prize winners be announced?
January 2025

Please click here for the contest rules.		 Top
I’m concerned about my privacy; how confidential is the study?
Protecting your privacy is very important to us. Ipsos is a market research leader with long standing associations with the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA). We will never try to sell you anything and will use the information you provide only for research purposes. Your contact information will be permanently deleted once the survey is concluded. Click here to view our Privacy Statement. Top
How will my information be used?
Your survey responses will be combined with others’ responses before they are analysed. All the data we collect from the survey are used for statistical and classification purposes only and will NEVER be shared or sold on an individual basis. Top
What is the deadline for updating the personal contact information I’ve provided?
The deadline for contacting Ipsos if you would like to update or correct any contact information you have provided (such as your name, address or phone number) is December 13, 2024. You can contact Ipsos’ Support Desk by email at okanagansupport@ipsosdiary.ca or by phone at 1-800-511-6644 (9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday). Top
Who is conducting the survey?
The partner agencies (City of Kelowna, City Vernon, and the other local governments within the Regional District Central Okanagan) have contracted Ipsos, an independent global market research company to conduct the survey. Top
Who is Ipsos?
Ipsos is a global market research company. We have offices in 90 countries. We provide a wide range of research services (both quantitative and qualitative) to meet all types of marketing and opinion research needs. To learn more about Ipsos, please visit our website at www.ipsos.ca. Top
How can I contact you if I have more questions?

  • If you would prefer to complete the survey by telephone, please call 1-800-511-6644 (toll free).
  • You may also call the number above for assistance with the online survey, or e-mail us at okanagansupport@ipsosdiary.ca
  • If you wish to validate the authenticity of this survey you may contact
  • For more information about this study, please visit https://www.rdco.com/transportation
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