Thousands of San Diegans will share their daily travel log in exchange for a $25 gift card from The San Diego Association of Governments.
SANDAG offered 70,000 San Diegans the gift card if they logged where they traveled, how long it took them, and how they got there for a week.
“We’re trying to understand what happens today to help us forecast what it’s going to look like in the future,” said Ray Traynor, SANDAG Director of Operations.
Traynor pointed out the San Diego region has evolved considerably in just the last few years. There are new bus and trolley routes. There are also growing numbers of people using ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft. Traynor also said the electric rechargeable scooters and bikes are making a considerable impact on travel habits.
“These things didn’t exist just a few years ago,” Traynor said. “So, we’re really interested to try to understand how San Diegans are getting around.”
Traynor said the funds for the gift cards come from a State of California grant, which was set aside for transportation improvements. Traynor admitted he doubted all 70,000 people would complete the survey but hoped at least a few thousand would take SANDAG up on the offer.
Traynor said he expected all the survey information to be collected by the beginning of July.
