Frequently Asked Questions

This study is sponsored by members of the Oregon Modeling Statewide Collaborative (OMSC) listed below:

OMSC Funding Partners:

Oregon Department of Transportation
Portland Metro
Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments
Lane Council of Governments
Rogue Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization
Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization
Middle Rogue Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization
Corvallis Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Albany Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Federal Highway Administration

Other OMSC partners:

Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council
TriMet
Oregon Health Authority
Oregon Housing and Community Services
PacTrans Consortium
Portland State University

We need to understand how, when, where, and why people in Oregon travel. We’re asking you to log your travel to help us understand transportation patterns in your community. By participating you can help us plan for future transportation improvements in your community. Your travel information is key to ensuring that decisionmakers thoughtfully consider where and when to fund transportation projects of all types across the entire state.

How are households invited to participate?

Most participants in the study will be drawn from a list of residential addresses randomly selected from US Postal Service data to ensure participation from across Oregon. Households of all ages, sizes, incomes, and geographic locations across the state are invited to participate in this study. Each invited household may participate in the study one time.

Why should I participate?

Your participation ensures households like yours are represented in city, county, and state transportation plans. Your participation can help us better understand your travel habits and choices, which will inform how we plan for improvements to transportation in your community over the next 10 years.

How was I selected?

Invited households were selected at random across Oregon to ensure accurate representation of travel patterns.

Who can participate in the study?

The study is for all invited households that live in Oregon.

Who is paying for the study?

The study is funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon’s eight Metropolitan Planning Organizations: Portland Metro, Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments, Lane Council of Governments, Rogue Valley MPO, Bend MPO, Middle Rogue MPO, Corvallis MPO, and Albany MPO.

Who is OMSC?

A group of transportation-oriented agencies, working together through the Oregon Modeling Statewide Collaborative (OMSC) is responsible for this study. The Collaborative helps develop analysis tools for all kinds of long-term transportation and land use planning and investment in Oregon. These are required to meet state and federal mandates. More information on The Collaborative can be found online at https://www.oregonmodels.org/about.

Who can I contact if I want to know more?

For additional questions, please contact a local sponsor representative:

ODOT – Thor Morris: thor.morris@odot.oregon.gov, 503-509-5559
Portland Metro – Joe Broach: joe.broach@oregonmetro.gov , 503-797-1773
Salem-Keizer MPO – Ray Jackson: rjackson@mwvcog.org , 503-540-1607
Eugene-Springfield MPO – Kelly Clarke: kclarke@lcog.org , 541-682-4026
Rogue Valley MPO (and Middle Rogue MPO) – Ryan MacLaren : rmaclaren@rvcog.org , 547-423-1338
Bend MPO – Tyler Deke: tdeke@bendoregon.gov , 541-693-2113
Corvallis MPO – Nick Meltzer: nmeltzer@ocwcog.org , 541-758-1911
Albany MPO – Nick Meltzer: nmeltzer@ocwcog.org , 541-758-1911

How much time does it take to participate?

It takes about 10 minutes to sign up for the study. Once you sign up, we’ll give you instructions for logging your travel and completing the study. Households that log their travel for seven days in the smartphone app, rMove, will spend about 5-10 minutes each day reporting their travel. Households that log their travel online or over the phone will spend about 10 minutes per household member. 

What kind of questions are asked in the study?

The study will ask questions about your household’s demographics, frequent travel locations, travel modes (e.g., walk, bike, drive or transit), and how far and how often you travel. The study will also assign you to a specific travel day or period, during which we’ll ask about the trips you make and activities that replace your need to travel (e.g., food and package deliveries, teleworking, caring for children at home).

How will the study include underserved communities?

We are committed to serving all people of Oregon equitably. We know that many in our communities are underserved by our existing transportation system, and we are working to ensure this study collects travel data from all people of Oregon equitably. We want to understand the day-to-day travel experience of all residents. This study has taken the following steps to address equity in this study:

Study design: The questions and invitation materials were refined with feedback from focus groups and online bulletin boards.
Study accessibility: Multiple participation options, including by rMove app, by web, or by phone enable people of Oregon to participate in the way that works for them. Additionally, the study is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Vietnamese.
Invitation Methods: Households across Oregon will be invited randomly so that all kinds of households will participate.
Outreach and Community Engagement: We are partnering with community-based organizations throughout Oregon to ensure that everyone is represented in the study.

How is my personal privacy protected?

We are committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and security of your personal information. We take this responsibility seriously. We will not disclose or share personal information we collect from you except as required by law. Our Privacy Policy is intended to help you understand how we collect and safeguard your information. Learn more about how we protect your information on the Privacy Page.

What do I do if I never received my access code?

Please check your junk or spam folder. If you don’t see it there, please click here to contact us.

Why do you need to know my demographics, like race and income?

We want to confirm we are getting a true representation of all people living in the area. Analyzing how and where people travel can depend on certain demographic attributes and areas where they live or work.

This information gives us a better picture of travel habits and how things can be improved in the future.

Why isn’t the app recording my trips?

Please try turning your phone off and back on. This should reset your location settings and get the app to record your trips.

Can I remove a household member if they no longer want to participate?

Unfortunately, we cannot remove a participating household member once the signup survey is complete. This is a household study; therefore, we require all related adult household members to participate to get accurate travel data.

If I drive for my job (delivery, bus, rideshare driver, etc.), do I have to track all my trips?

The rMove app generates a trip survey for every trip you make. This can be cumbersome for participants who make trips all day long. You can turn off the app tracking during these busy work hours and turn it back on during your normal personal trips.

What if I’ll be out of town during some of my travel period?

If you are using the app, we encourage you to still participate in the week-long study if you will be in town for at least one of your assigned dates. If you’ll be out of town for your entire travel period, please contact us for a new travel period.

Why don’t I have any surveys to answer even though I’m making trips?

Your trip surveys should populate when you open the rMove app. If you still don’t see any trip surveys to answer, please restart the phone.

When do I get my gift card?

Please allow 2-3 weeks for gift card processing after you have completed the study.

What do I do if I haven’t received my gift card after 2-3 weeks?

If you chose a digital gift card, please check your junk or spam folder. If you chose a physical, mailed card, please click here and provide your mailing address.