System and method for transportation demand management

A computer system adapted to collect real-time multi-modal travel behavior data from a user, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a user interface coupled to the processor;
• a global positioning system receiver coupled to the processor;
• and
• a tangible memory storage coupled to the processor, the tangible memory storage including software instructions that cause the computer system, upon initiation of a user trip at a starting location, to perform:
• prompting the user, through the user interface, to indicate an expected trip purpose for the trip;
• acquiring global positioning system coordinates from the global positioning system receiver for the starting location of the user;
• identifying a starting location description from a database of location descriptions based upon the global positioning system coordinates of the starting location of the user, and if the database of location descriptions does not include a starting location description based upon the global positioning system coordinates of the starting location of the user, prompting the user to provide the starting location description through the user interface;
• acquiring global positioning system coordinates of the user from the global positioning system receiver at predetermined intervals during a duration of the user trip;
• prompting the user, through the user interface, to indicate that the user trip has ended or that the user is making a stop;
• if the user indicates that the user is making a stop, prompting the user, through the user interface, to select their current location;
• acquiring global positioning system coordinates of the user from the global positioning system receiver for a stopping location of the user trip upon receiving the indication that the user is making a stop;
• determining a stopping location description from the database of location descriptions based upon the global positioning system coordinates of the stopping location, and if the database of location descriptions does not include a stopping location description based upon the global positioning system coordinates of the stopping location, prompting the user to provide the stopping location description through the user interface;
• displaying, through the user interface, the expected trip purpose and prompting the user to adjust the expected trip purpose to indicate a trip purpose associated with the stopping location description;
• determining a mode of transportation of the user between the starting location and the stopping location based upon the acquired global positioning system coordinates of the starting location and the global positioning system coordinates of the stopping location;
• and
• storing a first trip link data, wherein the first trip link data comprises the global positioning system coordinates of the starting location, the starting location description, the global positioning system coordinates of the stopping location, the global positioning system coordinates acquired prior to the stopping location, the stopping location description, the trip purpose associated with the stopping location description and the mode of transportation used between the starting location and the stopping location;
• if the user indicates that the user trip has ended, prompting the user, through the user interface, to select their current location;
• acquiring global positioning system coordinates of the user from the global positioning system receiver for an ending location of the user trip upon receiving the indication that the user trip has ended;
• determining an ending location description from the database of location descriptions based upon the global positioning system coordinates of the ending location, and if the database of location descriptions does not include an ending location description based upon the global positioning system coordinates of the ending location, prompting the user to provide the ending location description through the user interface;
• displaying, through the user interface, the expected trip purpose and prompting the user to adjust the expected trip purpose to indicate a trip purpose associated with the ending location description;
• determining a mode of transportation of the user between the stopping location and the ending location based upon the acquired global positioning system coordinates for the stopping location and the global positioning system coordinates for the ending location;
• storing a second trip link data, wherein the second trip link data comprises the global positioning system coordinates of the stopping location, the stopping location description, the global positioning system coordinates of the ending location, the global positioning system coordinates acquired between the stopping location and the ending location, the ending location description, the trip purpose associated with the ending location description and the mode of transportation used between the stopping location and the ending location;
• analyzing the first link trip data including the trip purpose associated with the stopping location description and the mode of transportation used between the starting location and the stopping location;
• analyzing the second link trip data including the trip purpose associated with the ending location and the mode of transportation used between the stopping location and the ending location;
• and
• providing recommendations to the user for changing the user trip or the mode of transportation of the user between the starting location and the stopping location or between the stopping location and the ending location based upon the analysis of the first link trip data and the second link trip data.