Welcome to CycleTracks Austin

When will this study end?

We are still collecting trip data and are planning to collect the data till the end of November 2011. We will update the timeline if we extend the study beyond November.

What is the purpose of this study?

There is very little data on levels of bicycle use and preferred facilities.  Very few transportation agencies collect widespread data on bicycle travel.  To address the need for data, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority turned to Smartphones for help.  Their Smartphone application has the benefit of offering an inexpensive and dynamic alternative to traditional bicycle data collection.  Researchers will test this product in Austin.

What is CycleTracks?

CycleTracks is an application for iPhone and Android phones which collects data on why and where cyclists ride. CycleTracks was developed by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA). CycleTracks uses the your smartphone's GPS function to track bicycle trip routes. Users specify a purpose for each trip (commuting, shopping, exercise, etc.) and tell the app when to start and stop recording the ride. At the end, data representing the purpose, route, date and time are confidentially sent to the Transportation Authority's servers (all identifiable data will be kept confidential). Users can cancel a trip at any time for any reason and no data will be sent.

Why Austin?

Austin was chosen for this project because of its strong cycling culture, its known bicycle-friendliness, and the presence of several universities including the University of Texas which makes it an ideal test environment.

Where can I find more information about CycleTracks?

Please visit the "CycleTracks Project" page on this website for more information. http://cycletracksaustin.com/cycletracks . This page summarizes the information from the SFCTA webpage about CycleTracks.

Who is conducting this project in Texas and how do I contact the research team?

This research project is funded by Texas A & M University's  The University Transportation Center for Mobility (UTCM) (http://utcm.tamu.edu/), the Texas Department of Transportation and the City of Austin. This project is conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin  (UT-Austin). You can find more information about this project on the UTCM website http://utcm.tamu.edu/research/current_research_projects.stm#Huds69.

If you have any questions/concerns and wish to contact the research team, please use the "Contact Us" form on this website.

Whom do I contact about my rights as a research participant? 

This research study has been reviewed by the Human Subjects’ Protection Program and/or the Institutional Review Board at Texas A&M University.  For research-related problems or questions regarding your rights as a research participant, you can contact these offices at (979)458-4067 or irb@tamu.edu.

How can I participate?

Please download CycleTracks application for your iPhone/Android phone using the links at the bottom of this page. Once you have installed the application on your iPhone or Android phone, please follow these instructions from SFTCA website about how to use the application.

For iPhone

http://cycletracksaustin.com/cycletracks#iPhone

For Android Phone

http://cycletracksaustin.com/cycletracks#Android