Ground Transportation Mystery:

An examination of the choices Dalhousie University’s undergraduate students make when travelling to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport

Group Chico Mendes:

Kevin Brown (BSc Environmental Science & HOST)

Joanna Burris (BCD Environmental Planning & Sustainability)

Alexa Goodman (BSc Marine Biology & Sustainability)

Aiyana Graham (BA English, Sustainability & German)

Kayleigh Morgan (BSc Biology & Sustainability)

With the Guidance of Nathan Ayer and Tarah Wright

ENVS 3502

April 11th, 2016

2

Executive Summary

Our research study was focused on the transportation habits of Dalhousie students when

travelling to the airport and the reasoning behind their decisions. This study answers the question:

What mode(s) of transportation did Dalhousie undergraduate students on the Studley campus use to

get to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, and why, in the fall term of 2015?

The research was limited to undergraduate students, the fall of 2015, Studley campus and

trips taken to the airport with the intention of then travelling by air. Similar research had never been

conducted at Dalhousie and there was a gap in the literature when we tried to learn about airport

ground access habits of students in Nova Scotia. This research will help to inform Dalhousie about

which modes its students prefer, where students’ knowledge is lacking in regards to transportation

options and what programs or services could be implemented to facilitate student transportation to

the airport. With further research, it is our belief that our results could be used to discover whether

students at Dalhousie make sustainable transportation choices. Once the sustainability of each

available mode is known, efforts could be made to make sustainable modes more appealing to

students, since – with the results from our study – it is clear which factors motivate their decisions.

We collected our data by administering short interview-style surveys for one week to

undergraduate students at locations on Studley Campus that are not affiliated with a particular

program or faculty: the Killam Library and the Student Union Building. We chose to survey

undergraduate students because we believed they would be less likely to have a permanent

residence and would therefore be likely to travel away more often and would be more representative

of the average Dalhousie student who travels to the airport. We approached each student who

walked by and asked them preliminary questions to see if they met the criteria for our study

population. If they did, we would ask them our survey questions and record their answers on paper.

Our survey consisted of three questions: one that asked their faculty, one that asked which mode

they took to the airport in the fall of 2015 and a final question asking them to explain why they chose

the mode they took. We surveyed over 400 students.

We coded survey responses in order to organize the data into categories and summarize

them with graphics and descriptive statistics. Our results showed that when travelling to the airport,

the top three modes chosen by students are Driver Dave’s limousine service, getting a lift from

someone in a personal vehicle, and using public transit. The most frequent motivation provided for

students’ choices was that they perceived their selected mode as cheap, or cheaper than other

options. Convenience was the next-selected rationale; most students interviewed made their

transportation decision based on price and/or convenience. Driver Dave’s had very high tallies for

responses related to low price and convenience; 81% of respondents who used Driver Dave’s

mentioned one or both.

Our main recommendation to Dalhousie is to make information about airport transportation

more easily available to students, perhaps by updating and enhancing Dal’s Getting Here webpage,

distributing an educational newsletter before holidays and other educational initiatives. We also

recommend further research to discover which mode is the most sustainable in the context of Halifax

so that education programs can be targeted toward making sustainable modes more appealing to

students based on what we have found motivates their decisions. Very few students are motivated

by sustainability even if it is their field of study, so future research could also be directed at finding

out why that is. Eventually, something ambitious such as working with Halifax Transit to make transit

more convenient to students could come out of this research, since we know students appreciate

that transit is cheap, but choose other modes for convenience.

3

Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... 2

1.0 Project Definition .................................................................................................................................. 4

2.0 Background and Rationale .................................................................................................................. 5

2.1 Modes of Travel .................................................................................................................................. 5

2.2 Transportation Emissions.................................................................................................................... 6

2.3 Why the Airport? ................................................................................................................................. 7

2.4 Current Programs in Place .................................................................................................................. 8

2.5 Responsibility for Action ...................................................................................................................... 9

3.0 Research Methods .............................................................................................................................. 10

3.1 Study Area ........................................................................................................................................ 10

3.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................................ 11

3.2.0 Survey Development .................................................................................................................. 11

3.2.1 Sample population ..................................................................................................................... 12

3.2.2 Data Collection Process ............................................................................................................. 13

3.2.3 Methods of Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 14

3.3 Limitations ......................................................................................................................................... 16

3.4 Delimitations ...................................................................................................................................... 16

4.0 Project Administration........................................................................................................................ 17

4.1 Budget ............................................................................................................................................... 17

5.0 Deliverables and Communication Plan............................................................................................. 17

6.0 Results ................................................................................................................................................. 18

7.0 Discussion ........................................................................................................................................... 21

8.0 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 23

References ................................................................................................................................................. 24

Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. 25

Appendix A - Preliminary Questions ....................................................................................................... 26

Appendix B - Survey ................................................................................................................................. 26

Appendix C - Ethics Application Form ................................................................................................... 26

Appendix D - Schedules ........................................................................................................................... 33

Appendix E - Budget Breakdown ............................................................................................................ 34

Appendix F - Communication Plan ......................................................................................................... 34

Appendix G - Research Proposal ............................................................................................................ 36

Appendix H - Data Code Equivalences for Survey Question #3 .......................................................... 64

Appendix I - Summary of Raw Data ........................................................................................................ 65

4

1.0 Project Definition

In the 21st century, there has been a global effort to make transportation more

sustainable (Pardo et al., n.d.). This is often done by adapting cities and systems to be more

accommodating to active transportation and low-impact modes of transport (Deakin, 2001). In

order to achieve global change on this front, adjustment is required at every level, even at the

micro scale, such as here at Dalhousie University. Public transportation is one example of a

low-impact mode of transport that is communally shared and has a lesser impact on the

environment; however, more often than not, people decide to take the mode that is faster,

regardless of its CO2 emissions (Salonen et al. 2014). This suggests that there is opportunity for

a mode that is fast yet environmentally friendly. In this study, we would like to determine what

the rationale is for students at Dalhousie University when it comes to selecting transportation

modes to the airport. Our study is important because it is providing the preliminary exploratory

research into which modes are most commonly used by undergraduate students at Dalhousie

Universities to get to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, and why. This information could

help create a foundation for future projects related to sustainable transportation at Dalhousie

University.

According to Dalhousie’s website, 56% of the school’s students come from out of

province each year, with an additional 14% being international students (Dalhousie University,

2016). This means that out of approximately 18,500 students at Dal, several thousand students

likely travel to and from the city by airplane (Dalhousie University, 2016). Although they may not

have a choice regarding which major form of transportation to use, many modes of ground

access to the airport exist and are available to students. All of the convenient and conventional

methods of travel to and from the airport that are currently available require the consumption of

fossil fuels and therefore have related greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, student travel to the

airport contributes to a number of environmental problems, such as depletion of non-renewable

resources and contributions to global warming (Barrett & Scott 2003). This project provides

insight on the travelling behaviour of university students.

Our project will be the first to explore and document how Dalhousie students are getting

to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport and their reasoning for choosing their mode of

transportation. This research project is important because it helps to understand student

behaviour and the influences on their decisions regarding transportation. We hope that our

research provides opportunities in the future for educating students on the impacts of their

behavior. Additionally, a further study could be conducted to determine which modes listed in

our survey (Appendix B) are the most sustainable choices.

Due to the short timeframe of this research project, our research will focus only on

students at Dalhousie’s Studley Campus and only on their travels to the airport in the fall of

2015. The project will be exploratory, and thus will include research and analysis, but with

limited discussion of suggestions moving forward and potentialities. Our research will answer

the question: What mode(s) of transportation did Dalhousie undergraduate students on the

Studley campus use to get to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, and why, in the fall term

of 2015?

5

2.0 Background and Rationale

There is a large number of out-of-province students at Dalhousie University. Available

data for 2013 indicates that 56% of Dalhousie students are from out of province and over 115

countries are represented (McNutt, 2013). These students often go home during the school year

for various reasons. The Halifax Stanfield International Airport is located 40.4 km away from

Dalhousie University (Google, 2016). Students have many options to choose from to travel

there. Some of these modes include individual cars, carpooling, bus routes, shuttles, taxis, and

independent limousine services. Each of these transport methods potentially varies in their

environmental impacts and emissions. Our study determined which modes are most popular

and why. Knowing what motivates students’ choices can allow others to use our data to better

tailor transportation initiatives to match students’ desires and needs. As well to inform Dalhousie

on how to target education efforts to engage students on sustainable transportation.

2.1 Modes of Travel

Table 1. Transportation modes available for students from Dalhousie University to Halifax Stanfield International

Airport in the fall of 2015 (VirtualTourist, 2016).

Transportation Name

Mode Availability/Booking Cost Features

Halifax Transit Bus (diesel) Scheduled runs $1.00/trip with U-Pass

Student must get to designated departure site

Taxi Car (gasoline)

On demand, 24 hours $60/trip Accessible with minutes notice, space for luggage

Driver Dave’s Car/Van (gasoline)

Flexible schedules tailored to passenger needs, booked online

$10-$35/person (depending on how many people book together, promotional offers, etc.)

Online booking makes it easy to coordinate with friends, get a cheaper rate

Lift from Someone

Car/Van/SUV (gasoline)

Must comply with friend’s

Free or at a nominal cost

Comfortable to drive with

6

schedules/availability of person driving you

someone you know, quick to arrange

Driving yourself (park at airport)

Car/Van/SUV (gasoline)

At leisure to leave when you want

Around $70/week at Park N’ Fly lot, plus gas expenses

Ability to leave whenever you want to make it there in time for your flight, upon return ride is already there for you

People use many modes of transportation to get around in their day-to-day activities and

commitments. A study by Salonen et al. in 2014 looked at which modes of transportation people

used in Finland most often and for what purpose. They found that using a slower mode of

transport usually produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions. This is important when applied to

longer trips as well. The accessibility of these slower modes, such as biking, busing, and

walking, correlates with the frequency with which they are used. For example, they found that

when bus route connections were good, they were used more often (Salonen et al., 2014).

Interestingly, shopping trips generally have higher emissions because of the many stops

required, especially when using a car (Salonen et al., 2014). This could be avoided if public

transport and more sustainable methods were accessible and widespread. This knowledge can

be applied to our study as it provides insight to the motivations for choosing transportation

modes. Table 1 illustrates the various modes offered, and gives details on potential selling

features of each. By breaking this down, the costs are weighed against factors such as

convenience, scheduling, or accessibility.

2.2 Transportation Emissions

It is important to note why transportation might be of interest or concern. The burning of

fossil fuels and related emissions to the atmosphere is of increasing concern, and the

transportation sector is a leading contributor to fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas

emissions. In 2013, 23% of total CO2 emissions in Canada’s energy sector came from road

transport alone (Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2015). This is relevant to our study

because it illustrates how significant the impact from transportation can be. As a university

engaged in sustainable development, Dalhousie University should be able to facilitate access to

and educate students about cheaper, easier, and greener options (Beringer et al., 2008).

Busses, carpools, and multi-passenger vehicles all range in emissions/per passenger, and each

have their own environmentally sustainable benefits (Barrett & Scott, 2003).

7

2.3 Why the Airport?

While Dalhousie University’s out-of-province student ratio makes our study relevant, the

importance and volume of travel to the airport also contributes to this. A similar study to ours,

conducted as a case study in Columbus, Ohio, maintains that “it is becoming increasingly

important to understand how passengers make their travel choices for their trips to and from the

airports, whether there is a market for alternative modes of transportation, and the effects of

ground access transportation characteristics” (Akar, 2013, p.25). The study followed a similar

format as our data collection process, by surveying their sample population at a given airport in

the area, and asking questions about the mode of transportation used to get there. Air travel is

only increasing, with globalization and world travel becoming easier and more accessible to the

masses. As shown in Table 2, over 87% of passengers at the airport had arrived by automobile

(Akar, 2013).

Table 2. The results of the survey conducted by Akar in 2013, in a Columbus, Ohio airport. N represents number of

respondents, followed by the percent that fall into the category.

More people electing to take personal cars with two people or less would correlate with a

greater emissions per person ratio. It is generally more efficient to carpool (vehicle load of three

or more in a standard passenger vehicle), or to take public transit, where the overall emissions

output of the vehicle could be divided amongst the passengers in per capita fashion. For

example, a taxi includes the driver, and potentially only one passenger; therefore this passenger

is solely responsible for all of the emissions it takes to get them to the airport. Alternatively, a

Driver Dave’s van full of five students all going to the airport has drastically different emissions

per person statistic. Additionally, in Table 2 it is important to note the travel party size, with most

passengers travel as a party of only one, despite not being the “greenest” option. This opens up

great opportunity for carpool initiatives or perhaps a shuttle service to engage these people into

group transport.

8

Another case study carried out in Korea confirms the importance of evaluating

transportation mode-choice holistically. In particular, they examined whether trip purpose, travel

time, and travel cost varied between airport ground access modes (Choo et al., 2007). In order

to understand the choices air passengers make for their mode of transportation to the airport,

their motivations must first be determined, as we explored in our study.

2.4 Current Programs in Place

Currently at Dalhousie University, there is no singular mode of airport transportation fully

endorsed by the institution. As half of the student population comes from outside of the

province, we will be providing the information to begin the process of filling this gap (McNutt,

2013). Much like the Dalhousie University Sustainability Survey, which studied modes of

transportation used to commute to Dalhousie campus, our goal is to analyze the patterns of

student transportation (Habib et al., 2011). Trends found in a recent transportation survey - a

portion of the Dalhousie University Sustainability Survey - found that commuters are becoming

increasingly less likely to carpool or walk to the university, as seen in Figure 1 (Habib et al.,

2011).

Figure 1. Changes in modes of transportation taken by students in 2009 vs 2010, as ways of commuting to Dalhousie

campus (Habib et al. 2011).

The same study showed that 60% of students felt positively (answered “yes”) about

carpooling as an option. This shows that while students say they are willing, there is an obvious

lack of accessibility or motivation, as they do not follow through. We intend to decipher these

choices in the context of ground transportation to the airport through our study.

9

Figure 2. A screenshot of the Dalhousie University “Getting There” website for new students (Dalhousie University,

2016).

The website designed to properly inform and advise arriving students on the ins and outs

of the university is seriously lacking. This particular page of Dalhousie University's main website

lists the suggested ways to access the airport from the university. This is a resource used

primarily by those unfamiliar with campus or the city in general, and can be a pivotal piece of

information when they are making their decision on which mode to take. This website must be

adapted to include all of the options and their ensuing implications, in order to properly inform

unknowing students.

2.5 Responsibility for Action

Dalhousie University is the largest post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada (Wright,

2006). It has a large, widespread, and renowned collection of academic faculties. In 1990, an

Environmental Policy (EP) was taken on by the university, a precursor to later environmental

initiatives. Nearly a decade later, the university signed the internationally recognized Talloires

Declaration - University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (Beringer et al., 2008). This formal

commitment, initially composed in 1990, was the first official statement made by university

administrators across the globe that they would commit their higher education institutions to

environmentally sustainable practices in the future (Beringer et al., 2008). For Dalhousie, it

reiterated many of the same points constituted in the original EP of 1990 (and later revisions),

but also included steps for action that its former severely lacked (Wright, 2006). It includes ten

points in the form of an action plan to incorporate sustainability not only into college and

university curriculums, but also into their programs and operations. This is only one example of

a formally ratified commitment that Dalhousie University has made to progressively become

more sustainable. As a result of these policies, the following years have brought the uprising of

many sustainability-driven operations. The university now boasts many societies - both student

and faculty - as well as several curriculums focusing on matters related to environmental

sustenance, and the newly instated “College of Sustainability”. These all contribute to the long-

10

and short-term execution of environmental sustainability on campus and act as potential

mediums for us to project our initiatives into the future. Dalhousie University makes for a very

relevant test subject in this study.

Our study is important for Dalhousie University because student transportation to the

airport has not been prioritized before, even though over half of the students are from out of

province and will most likely need to travel by air during their years as an undergraduate

student. The university continues to make great strides in becoming environmentally sustainable

and reducing harmful environmental impacts as an institutional body, so we wish to supplement

and further this progress with our advisory work.

3.0 Research Methods

To answer our research question (see p. 5), we created a short pencil-and-paper survey

that was administered in an interview-type fashion (see Appendix B). We used a mixed methods

approach, including both qualitative and quantitative questions. The survey had single

response, categorical, and open-ended questions to give us a variety of data. Having a variety

of question types helped us to include the specific questions we needed answered in order to

address our research question. The open-ended question in the survey also helped with the

exploratory research associated with our study. In order to ensure that the data we collected

would be relevant to our question, there were two preliminary questions that we asked all

potential respondents before administering the formal survey (see Appendix A).This technique

allowed us to weed out those who were not in our target population.

The survey was administered orally, with each surveyor using the same survey questions

and filling out respondents’ answers using pen and paper. The survey was conducted using

convenience sampling. By administering the survey in-person, we had the chance to interact

with participants and ask preliminary questions to make sure they fit the criteria (see Appendix

A). The survey was administered only on the Studley Campus, as we deemed it the most likely

campus to have high numbers of students that would fit in our population. With more time we

might have conducted the survey at all three Halifax campuses. The study was designed to

target only the study population and to help determine which mode of transportation was most

used by Dalhousie undergraduate students on the Studley campus to get to the Halifax

Stanfield International Airport, and why, in the fall term of 2015.

After collection, the data was coded using a combination of a priori and grounded a

posteriori coding schemes. The coded data was then inputted into Microsoft Excel and analyzed

using descriptive statistics.

3.1 Study Area

The study area of the research was limited to the Killam Library atrium and the Student

Union Building lobby on the Studley Campus, since neither building is associated with a

particular faculty or program. Although the study was limited to the Studley Campus, we also

11

interviewed many students from other campuses who were in the designated area while we

administered the survey. This was not problematic for our study. Surveys were administered

exclusively at these locations to narrow the scope of our research and to be as inclusive and

unbiased to the Dalhousie population as possible. We also believed that the Studley Campus

would have the highest number of undergraduate students at Dalhousie University from an

array of faculties.

3.2 Methods

3.2.0 Survey Development

To collect our data, we created a short questionnaire in the form of a pencil-and-paper

survey, as it is called by Palys and Atchison (2014) in their book Research Decisions:

Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Although we created a pencil-and-

paper survey, it was conducted in an interview style in order to speed up the process and

encourage respondents to answer all questions. There are many reasons why this type of

survey was the best fit for our research project. A pencil-and-paper survey is an easy way to

gather data anonymously, since we did not ask for identifying information (Palys & Atchison,

2014). Since we conducted the survey orally, we had access to respondents’ answers as they

gave them - however, we did not document who gave which responses and we did not know

most of the respondents. To respect confidentiality of respondents, we did not discuss answers

amongst ourselves when we knew who had given them. This survey also allowed us to collect a

fairly large amount of information in a short period of time, which is one of the benefits of a

pencil-and-paper survey (Palys & Atchison, 2014). The questionnaires were fairly inexpensive

since the only costs were for paper, printing and chocolate as an incentive. We used pens and

pencils that we owned previously. A big advantage to this type of questionnaire is that it can be

conducted in a particular geographic area where members of the sampling frame are likely to

be, compared with an online or mail-in questionnaire (Palys & Atchison, 2014). We distributed

the survey in central locations at Dal where we came across many people in our study

population. An in-person survey worked well for us, and likely better than a mail-in or browser-

based survey, because we were able to answer any questions the respondents had and clarify

survey questions. Additionally, the pencil-and-paper questionnaire did not require respondents

to be computer-literate, or even literate since it was conducted orally, although this is not a big

issue in the university setting (Palys & Atchison, 2014).

Our only method of data collection for this project was a survey posing questions to

respondents to help us answer the research question. The creation of the survey was the first

step in our data collection process. The full survey can be found in Appendix B. The survey is

short and combines single-response, categorical and open-ended questions in order to get the

best type of answers for each part of our research question.

In order to find out which type of transportation students used, we asked a categorical

question which listed all the reasonable ways to get to the airport that we could come up with.

Using categorical response items allowed us to analyze the data easily, since there were a

12

limited number of categories, and it made sense since there are only a limited number of

plausible ways to get to the airport. We provided an exhaustive list of modes and also included

an “Other” option in case someone used an unanticipated travel mode. Our response items

were not mutually exclusive, however, because it is possible that someone traveled to the

airport more than once and used a different mode each time; therefore it was a multiple-

response item categorical question (Palys & Atchison, 2014).

We used an open-ended question to determine the reasoning behind respondents’

choices of transportation. We were interested in hearing exactly what our respondents’ thoughts

were without being influenced by options to choose from. Palys and Atchison (2014) state that

open-ended questions are “minimally affected by external influence or by suggestion emerging

from the structure of the research instrument itself” (pp.164-165), so we believe that an open-

ended question was the best way to limit influence from our survey-interview technique. Our

study is based on an exploratory research question and an open-ended survey question allowed

us to receive answers from respondents that we might not have considered (Palys & Atchison,

2014). It was important to us that we found out the real reason that motivated students to

choose a particular mode. Using a categorical question, for example, might have influenced

respondents to change their answer based on the options we predicted and provided. We only

included one open-ended question so that respondents were more likely to answer the whole

survey (Palys & Atchison, 2014). We also only required one open-ended question to answer our

research question.

At the start of the survey we also included a single-response item question in order to

get a bit of background information on our respondents. We believed this would help us to

identify trends in the data during our analysis process. We chose this type of question because

wanted to know specific information, being the respondents’ field of study. Palys and Atchison

(2014) describe that single-response questions are a good option for supplying specific

information. Although Palys and Atchison (2014) also state that respondents can be reluctant to

provide personal information in the form of a number or one-word response, our single-

response question did not require very personal answers and none of the respondents were

reluctant to answer it.

3.2.1 Sample population

Our total population consisted of all undergraduate students present on Dalhousie’s

Studley Campus who traveled to the airport during the fall of 2015. In 2013 there were 14,650

undergraduate students at Dal, with 70% being from outside of Nova Scotia (McNutt, 2013).

This means the total population was roughly 10,255 students. This estimation assumes that all

students travelling from out of province travel by air. There was no way for us to identify all of

these students because we only had an estimation, so we did not use a sampling frame. As a

result, we used convenience sampling to survey these students. Due to the large population and

lack of sampling frame, we were required to use a non-probabilistic sampling technique.

In order to determine an appropriate sample size for our research, we used the number

10,255 as our total population, which assumes that all students living outside Nova Scotia travel

13

by air (see Delimitations for further information, p.17). We took this total population and plugged

in into a sample size calculator on the website SurveyMonkey (2016), which calculated the ideal

sample size using standard deviation. It provided us with a sample size of 371, considering our

data had a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5% (SurveyMonkey, 2016). We also

double-checked this value on several other sample size calculating sites, which gave us the

same result. Therefore during our survey process, we attempted to survey 375 eligible

respondents. This number would give us a bit of room in case a couple surveys are not

answered correctly or respectfully; however, we ended up collecting over 400 responses.

3.2.2 Data Collection Process

In order to locate an assortment of students from different programs, we decided to

distribute our surveys at the Killam Library and Student Union Building at Dalhousie. These are

locations that many students frequent daily and they are not associated with a particular faculty.

Both buildings also sell food and are therefore likely to attract numerous students throughout the

day.

We printed the survey, six per piece of legal sized paper, three per side. Since

respondents would not be seeing the surveys themselves, we did not think that it would affect

responses to have more than one survey per page. Other materials we required were multiple

pens/pencils (in case they got lost or dull) and two clipboards/notebooks per pair of researchers.

These items were provided by the surveyors from items they already had. We also purchased

inexpensive chocolates to give to respondents who completed the survey as an incentive.

Before beginning the actual survey process, we piloted a very similar survey with an

identical format to see how well respondents would understand the questions. The pilot survey

was given to 4 individuals and each of them understood the survey and answered properly.

The actual survey was conducted over the course of one week, during multiple times of

day. The times and durations of our data collection sessions were dictated by our class

schedules, and therefore differed each day (see Appendix D). Replicating this survey will likely

require the use of different data collection times from those that we used, but we do not believe

that changing the times of day will affect the data. Our main goal for dispersing our surveying

times was to be present at each of the data collection locations (Killam and SUB) for most of the

times between 9:00am and 4:00pm, spread over the course of one week. We aimed to

distribute 75 surveys per day, however if we were unable to collect 75 on a particular day, we

surveyed for as long as we had time and then tried to catch up the following day.

Researchers paired up to distribute surveys. There were always two researchers at a

location while we distributed surveys, although we approached potential respondents

individually in order to be as efficient as possible. When approaching students, researchers

greeted them and asked if they had time (or 30 seconds) to answer a few questions. If students

seemed reluctant, we often let them know that they would receive chocolate if they completed

the survey. When students said yes, the researcher asked the preliminary questions from

Appendix A. These questions helped us identify whether the student was part of the target

14

population, meaning that they were an undergraduate student at Dal who traveled to the airport

in the fall semester of 2015. If they were not eligible to complete the survey, we thanked them

for their time and offered them a piece of chocolate. We explained to the ineligible respondents

that we were only surveying undergraduate Dal students that traveled to the airport so that they

understood why they were not being considered.

When a researcher had identified an eligible respondent who fit into the population, they

proceeded with the rest of the oral survey. Researchers asked respondents one question at a

time and quickly jotted down their answers, being sure not to include any nuances that

respondents indicated with their responses. In addition to the questions officially in the survey

(see Appendix B), we found it was necessary to specify to students that they must have traveled

to the airport with the intention of then getting on a plane. This issue came up soon after we

started when several people expressed that they had been to the airport in the fall of 2015, but

to drive someone else. When the respondent had completed the survey, the researchers offered

the respondent a piece of chocolate and thanked them for their time.

At the end of a data collection session, researchers compiled all the surveys they

collected during that time, paper clipped them together and wrote the date and approximate

time when the surveys were completed. This allowed us to keep an accurate record of how

many were collected during each time of day in order to try to balance the completion of surveys

throughout the day. At the end of the week, all surveys were compiled, counted and analyzed,

as per the Methods of Data Analysis section below.

3.2.3 Methods of Data Analysis

There was quantitative and qualitative data to analyze from our surveys, so we used a

mixed methods approach. The quantitative data collected indicated how many students used

each type of transportation mode, while the qualitative data pertained to students’ motivations in

choosing that mode (see Appendix B). The biggest part of our data analysis was coding our

data, after which point the coded data was inputted into an Excel spreadsheet. We then used

descriptive statistics and diagrams to interpret and display our data (see section 6.0 Results).

The first step we took to analyze the survey data was to come up with a list of responses

that we remembered hearing as well as responses that we anticipated in order to create a list of

codes, combining a priori and grounded a posteriori techniques (see Appendix H for full list of

codes). We then sorted through the surveys one at a time and coded the answers to our

qualitative question: “Why, in the fall of 2015, did you use the particular mode(s) that you

selected above? Please explain.” We did this question first because we expected it to take the

most time to code. We used the grounded a posteriori coding technique during our coding and

came up with new codes as they were necessary. This coding scheme made the most sense

because this is an exploratory research project and grounded a posteriori coding allowed us to

develop codes based on the data provided by respondents (personal communication, T. Wright,

March 1, 2016). All five of us participated in the coding process and we discussed any

responses we were unsure about. After question 3 had been coded on all of the surveys, we

swapped around and everyone recoded surveys that others had coded previously. During this

15

second round we also assigned numbers to each mode of transportation and wrote down the

associated number on each survey. The second question on the survey asked respondents

what mode of transportation they used. Since this was a categorical-response item, we had a

pre-determined list of possible responses; therefore we will use a priori content-specific coding.

We assigned numbers to each mode that we had listed on the survey.

During the second round of coding, if anyone had an opinion about how to code an

answer that conflicted with the existing code for that answer, they announced the change they

were going to make to the whole group so that we could agree or disagree.

The next step of data analysis we took was to code the first question on the survey (see

Appendix B). For the first question, we used a combination of a priori context specific and

grounded a posteriori coding. We went on the Dal website to create a list of all faculties that we

thought were most common, such as Bachelor of Arts, science, and commerce, and give each

one a number code. We then added more codes depending on which additional programs the

respondents were in. This coding was also completed by the group. After the first round of

coding, a pair of researchers double-checked all the surveys to see if the coding made sense or

if they want to make any additional changes.

Once we coded all the survey data, we assigned a number to each survey. To do this,

we simply put the surveys in a stack and numbered them from the top to the bottom. We then

inputted the data into an excel spreadsheet. Table 3 shows what the spreadsheet template we

created looked like, with respondents’ numbers going all the way to 414. We also created a key

so that we would know what each code represented (see Appendix H).

Table 3. Excel Spreadsheet for Data Entry

Once the data was in the spreadsheet, we used descriptive statistics to analyze it. The

columns of data that helped us to answer the research question were the Mode columns and

the Motivation columns, which had the codes for respondents’ answers to the why did you

choose that mode question. We used the ‘COUNT IF’ function in excel to count the responses

to determine the tallies for each mode of transportation, and from there we determined which

was used most often. Since our data was nominal, or categorical, the best central tendency of

distribution for our data is the mode (Palys & Atchison, 2014). Using Excel, we also tabulated

how many respondents reported using each type of mode of transportation and created a graph

showing how many used each mode (see Figure 3).

In order to determine why the respondents made the choices they did, we also analyzed

our data for their reasoning. The first thing we did was to calculate responses from the

16

motivation columns by again using the ‘COUNT IF’ function to determine tallies for each

motivation. This told us which reasons motivated the sampled population. Using this data, we

generated a word cloud that shows the extent to which each reason was mentioned. We believe

this makes a strong visual demonstration of how the undergraduate students make their choices

for transportation to the airport.

For more technical analysis, we took the top three transportation modes and created a

list of the three most returned motivations that respondents had when choosing that mode. The

tallies for mode responses were used to determine the most utilized mode in conjunction with

the adjoining motivations to produce the top motivations per top mode. Specifically, the ‘COUNT

IFS’ function was used to return the number of times a motivation occurred with the relevant

mode. We then displayed this data using a clustered column diagram, with the number of

respondents on the y-axis and the top three modes with their three most returned reasonings on

the x-axis (the clusters will be according the mode of transportation and the individual columns

will be representative of the respective motivations).

We also created a word cloud by calculating the relative proportion of each of the coded

responses tallied from the motivation question and using those numbers to come up with font

sizes for each term.

3.3 Limitations

The limitations that are associated with our study are mainly due to the sample and time

constraints. As our sample population is only an estimate the data may not be as accurate,

compared to having a set sample frame with true random sampling. The time constraint was

also an important factor because certain people may not be on campus during the times we

administered the survey during that week. We tried to accommodate for this constraint as well

as possible by choosing to administer the survey at random times during the week we gathered

the data. By administering the survey in person it may have influenced people to avoid us, as a

means of avoiding being approached and asked to take the survey; however, our in-person

approach may have also encouraged others to answer it who might have ignored an online

survey.

3.4 Delimitations

The first delimitation to the study is the sample size that we chose. We used data from

2013 to determine a rough estimate of the total population of undergraduate students that are

from out of province (McNutt, 2013). By using old data, the sample population may not be as

large, or as small as it should have been. We also assumed that students from outside of Nova

Scotia use air travel to return home, but students from nearby provinces, such as New

Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, may not. We used data from 2013 because it was

provided on Dalhousie’s main website and would provide the most reliable population estimate.

We chose to limit the study to undergraduate students as there would be more information, and

17

they represent a larger proportion of the Dalhousie student population. As well, they are also

less likely to permanently reside in Halifax.

The methodology also had some delimitations, including the location and the survey

itself. We chose to limit the survey to the Studley campus because it is most feasible and fit the

limited time frame of the class to execute the study. We also limited the administration of the

survey to the two locations, the Killam Library and the Student Union Building, as means of

feasibility. The locations were also chosen based on of how inclusive they are to the majority of

the Dalhousie undergraduate student population. By administering the survey in person, it

limited how the respondents were approached and asked to complete it. Many people avoided

us as a way to avoid taking the survey. As well, by having it only on paper and in person it

limited who is included in the study.

4.0 Project Administration

Our project required an ethics review. See Appendix C for our ethics application. A

project schedule was prepared (Appendix D) and a project budget (see section 4.1).

4.1 Budget

For the administration of the survey and its distribution, only two components were

required, the most significant being the costs associated with the production of the survey forms

that participants were asked to complete. We determined that the most cost-effective way of

producing the hard copy surveys was to print three surveys on both sides of legal sized printing

paper. At a cost of $0.21 per page, with six surveys per page at a quantity of 67 pages required,

the cost of printing totals to $14.07. Additionally, a further $10.00 was allocated to the purchase

of small chocolates as a thanks to participants for completing the survey, bringing the grand

total of the budget to $24.07. A detailed breakdown of quantities can be found in Appendix E.

We applied for a grant for $15.00 from the Dalhousie Student Union Office of Sustainability to

assist in offsetting the cost of executing the survey. All other costs, unforeseen and otherwise,

were absorbed by the study team.

5.0 Deliverables and Communication Plan

The deliverables for this research project will be presented digitally on Dalhousie’s

Department of Environmental Sciences website, as well as the Pecha Kucha presentation to our

peers and advisors. The Pecha Kucha took place at the campus pub, the Grawood, on

Tuesday, April 5th, 2016, and was a quick 20 slide PowerPoint presentation with an oral

presentation to accompany it. The aim of the Pecha Kucha was to explain our project and

present our findings to our peers, including our instructors and Rochelle Owen, Director of the

Office of Sustainability. The final report for our project will be submitted online to BbLearn on

Monday April 11th, 2016 to present our findings. This formal report builds off of the proposal. As

well, we will provide a one page executive summary to Rochelle Owen, the Director of the Office

18

of Sustainability and Dr. Richard Florizone, the University President as a means of sharing our

results.

Our communication plan which includes our objectives, tools used and target audience

can be found in Appendix F.

6.0 Results

Following the completion of the surveying period, a total of 428 surveys were received,

out of which 414 were valid for use. The 14 surveys that were not included in the sample were

excluded due to failure to meet necessary sample conditions or provided invalid answers. For

example, some King’s students responded and we decided later not to include them since our

research question referred specifically to Dalhousie undergraduate students. The distribution of

transportation mode responses, as displayed in Figure 3, indicates that the dominant modes of

transportation during the fall semester of 2015 for Dalhousie undergraduates were limousine

service and getting a lift from someone. Additionally, Halifax Metro Transit and taxi services

were the next most-used modes of transportation. As a multiple-response selection question,

Figure 3 shows the total number of pooled responses collected by the surveyed population from

question two. Therefore, there were more responses than respondents. Modes of transport that

respondents fit into the “Other” category included, but were not limited to, charter busses used

by sports teams and private group shuttle services for Chinese students.

Figure 3: Distribution of responses for each mode of transportation for the sample population.

When pooled, the most prominent motivations for choice of transit were ‘Cheap’ and

‘Convenient’ by large margins. ‘Cheap’ represented 40% of total responses while 29% of

responses referred to convenience. Figure 4 illustrates the overall distribution of motivations that

were collected and coded for from the open-ended response question. Although the number of

19

returns for motivations such as ‘Free’ and ‘Fast’ also indicate a notable response, they are

arguably incomparable to the dominant return of ‘Cheap’ and ‘Convenient’.

Figure 4: Distribution of responses for the sample population’s motivation for their choice of transportation. *DWTP:

Acronym for ‘Did not want to park at airport’.

While the pooled data gives a broad spectrum illustration of the distribution of modes

and motivations returned from the surveyed sample population, it does not display individual

motivations for specific modes. As such, Figure 5 shows the top three modes of transportation

used by students paired with their respective top motivations. The resulting graph gives valuable

insight into the causality behind an individual mode’s popularity.

20

Figure 5: Distribution of the three dominant motivations for the respective three foremost modes of transportation as

indicated by the sample population.

Figure 6: Word cloud displaying survey motivations, with each motivation scaled in size by the number of times it was

returned.

To best illustrate the abundance of each motivation, we created a word cloud that scales

the various motivations according to their respective tallies in Figure 4. The word cloud,

21

displayed in Figure 6, gives an easy and accessible medium by which one can view the driving

motivations for Dalhousie undergraduate’s choice of transportation. We calculated the relative

proportions of students who used each mode to determine the font size for each term. There is

some inaccuracy in the size proportions of words in the word cloud, since some words would be

too small to see with an accurate portrayal or relative popularity.

It was striking to us that so many students were influenced by cost and convenience

while so few were motivated by sustainability. We decided to compile a list of the responses

given by sustainability students to see if they followed the general trend (see Table 4).

Table 4. Motivations provided by respondents who study sustainability.

While cheapness is the main motivator for sustainability students, like other students,

convenience did not seem to be a factor for any of their decisions. Also, not one sustainability

student indicated that sustainability or environmental reasons were a factor in their decision.

Several sustainability students did take public transit, but all of those who did cited cheapness

as their motivation. There were only two responses given that referred to sustainability and they

were provided by a science student and a management student.

7.0 Discussion

While there was a large variety of modes taken by Dalhousie undergraduate students in

the fall term of 2015, we were able to pinpoint the most frequently taken in the data gathered

and analyzed from our 414 valid surveys. Limousine service, “Got a lift from someone”, and

Metro Transit were the top three most used modes, respectively. All respondents who said they

took a limousine service reported that they took Driver Dave’s service, therefore Driver Dave’s

seems to be the most common mode of transportation that undergraduate students take to the

airport. Our findings fulfilled the objective of the study, which was to find the most common

mode of transportation that Dalhousie’s undergraduate students took to the Halifax Stanfield

International Airport and why, in the fall term of 2015.

A large component of our research was to distinguish what the motivations were behind

students’ choices of transportation to the airport. We came across some striking answers -

22

including several people who honestly were not aware of options outside of the one that they

knew and used. This solidified our purpose in establishing a plan of recommendation for

Dalhousie University to educate students about available modes. This could start with

something as simple as updating their webpage to include not only more options, but also more

details on each option.

The top three modes that students take - Driver Dave’s, Metro Transit and “Got a lift

from someone” - all share two out of three of their top reasons why students chose to take them.

Students reported that all three of them were “cheap” and “convenient”. It is clear from Table 1

(p. 6) that using Driver Dave’s is much more expensive than Metro Transit, but it is much

cheaper relative to taking a cab, for example, especially if students arrange to travel in a group.

It is clear that students’ responses are reflective of their experience with other modes and which

modes they are knowledgeable about - a student who only knew about taxis and Driver Dave’s

might call the latter cheap, while someone who considers transit to be the only other option

might take Driver Dave’s because it is convenient, while knowing that it is more expensive than

a bus. This is another reason why we believe it is important to educate students about all

possible transportation options to the airport, so that their decisions can be based on a clear

understanding of what all options have to offer.

While cheapness was the main motivation behind students’ choices to take Driver

Dave’s or Metro Transit, the top reason students got a lift from someone was because of

convenience, followed closely by “cheap”. The third reason people used this mode is because it

was “free”. While coding, we thought it was important to differentiate “free” from “cheap”,

because while “cheap” could apply to any mode, depending on the student’s perspective, “free”

was limited to particular modes that students could access without a cost (such as “got a lift

from someone”). Therefore we opted to separate “free” and “cheap”, since the two could not be

used interchangeably.

For students who chose to take Metro Transit to the airport, “cheap” was the most

prominent response by far to explain their choice. The other two most selected options were

“convenient” and “sustainable”, each with two responses. What this tells us is that there are

many students who are willing to take a very cheap option, even if it is not convenient; but what

this also tells us is, simply, that Metro Transit is not convenient for students. Although it was the

third most selected mode, many more students would probably use transit to get to the airport if

it was more convenient. Since being cheap is clearly an extremely important deciding factor for

students, it would make sense to focus future education for students on public transit, to make

accessing it easier and more convenient.

Out of the many students who opted to take Driver Dave’s to the airport, the ones who

did not choose it for being “cheap” or “convenient” had diverse responses, with the most

common being “recommendation”. This means that students chose this mode because they

heard about it from someone else. This is very interesting to us, since this was the mode with

the highest number of recommendations from other people. This likely means that students

think Driver Dave’s is a good mode to take, if they are recommending it to others. Since it works

well for students, a recommendation moving forward could be for Dal to communicate or

23

collaborate with Driver Dave’s to attempt to make the service better for students and perhaps

more sustainable, based on potential results of future research. Additionally, because our

project was exploratory, our findings do not fit in with existing research as it does not exist.

When beginning our coding, we used a priori and grounded a posteriori techniques and

came up with a list of motivations that we knew were common from our surveying and that we

thought might be reasonable answers. One that we came up with was “accessible”; however,

not a single respondent reported that they chose their mode for reasons of accessibility, much

to our surprise. There were also many responses that we did not anticipate, such as not wanting

to park at the airport, wanting to be accompanied by friends and loving public transit.

As well, the first question in our survey (see Appendix B), to determine the participant’s

faculty, was not required to answer our research question, but it did provide a few interesting

insights. We found that in general, very few (only two) students reported that sustainability of a

transportation mode influenced their decision. We were surprised by how low this number was,

especially because we interviewed a number of sustainability students. It turns out that most of

the sustainability students reported that cheapness was their deciding factor, and while there

were a few other motivations mentioned, not one of them indicated that they made their decision

based on reasons of sustainability. This tells us that there may be a lack of education available

to students on the sustainability and environmental impact of transportation choices, even for

students enrolled in the ESS program. The alternative is that they know about the sustainability

of their options, but that other factors are more important to them.

8.0 Conclusion

Our study provided many new insights into how Dalhousie’s undergraduate students are

travelling to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. We found that the majority of students

used Driver Dave’s or got a lift someone. The major contribution of this study is that there is now

accurate data and research done on the most common modes and associated motivations,

which had not previously been done. This exploratory study contributes to the pool of valuable

knowledge that Dalhousie has, and can be utilized for many new projects and initiatives.

Moving forward, Dalhousie should update their website to reflect all of the modes of

transportation to the airport that are currently available, along with their details, such as cost and

how long the commute is. This will provide the students with all of the information needed to

make more informed transportation choices. As well, Dalhousie could send out informative

emails before the holidays, to create transportation awareness and allow for ahead-of-time

planning. Other educational initiatives for students on transportation options would be beneficial

as well.

Future research could be done on the emissions for each mode, and their environmental

impact. This would illuminate the sustainability of each mode. Additionally, when combining our

research with future research, there is potential for a new or improved mode of transportation

that is cheap, convenient, and sustainable. Most students make their decision based on cost,

24

therefore there may be an opportunity for Dalhousie to work with Halifax Transit to make the

cheapest (and likely most sustainable) option more convenient for students and therefore more

attractive to them, since we know convenience is also an important factor for students.

Further research could also be conducted to determine whether the fact that students

are not motivated by sustainability is due to lack of knowledge about the sustainability of

different modes or simply because other motivations are more important to students. If it is

found that lack of knowledge is the reason, educational initiatives on the sustainability of

transportation modes would be our recommendation moving forward. If it is the latter reason,

then finding ways to get students thinking about sustainability so that they see it as just as

important as other factors might be a good place to start. It seems as though cost will always be

a deciding factor for students, since students often have limited financial capital, but maybe

someday sustainability will be more important to students than convenience or travel speed.

References

Akar, G. (2013). Ground access to airports, case study: Port Columbus international airport.

Journal of Air Transport Management, 30, 25–31. doi:10.1016/j.jairtraman.2013.04.002

Barrett, J., & Scott, A. (2003). The Application of the Ecological Footprint: A case of passenger

transport in Merseyside. Local Environment, 8(2), 167-183.

doi:10.1080/1354983032000048488

Beringer, A., Wright, T., & Malone, L. (2008). Sustainability in higher education in Atlantic

Canada. Int J of Sus in Higher Ed, 9(1), 48-67. doi:10.1108/14676370810842184

Choo, S., You, S., & Lee, H. (2013). Exploring characteristics of airport access mode choice: a

case study of Korea. Transportation Planning and Technology, 36(4), 335-351.

doi:10.1080/03081060.2013.798484

Dalhousie University. (2016). Dal at a glance - about - Dalhousie University. Retrieved from

http://www.dal.ca/about-dal/dal-at-a-glance.html

Dalhousie University. (2016). Campus tours - explore Halifax. Retrieved from

http://www.dal.ca/about-dal/campus-tours/explore-halifax/Gettinghere.html

Deakin, E. (2001). Sustainable development and sustainable transportation: Strategies for

economic prosperity, environmental quality, and equity. Institute of Urban & Regional

Development. UC Berkeley: Institute of Urban and Regional Development. Retrieved

from: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/0m1047xc

Google. (2016). [Map showing directions and distance from Dalhousie University to Halifax

Stanfield International Airport]. Retrieved March 1, 2016, from

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Dalhousie+University,+6299+South+Street,+Halifax,+NS

+B3H+4R2/Halifax+Stanfield+International+Airport,+Enfield,+NS/@44.7611204,-

25

63.7448784,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b5a223075e6d9d7:0x748c4

55d10d45403!2m2!1d-

63.5916555!2d44.6365812!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b59806f31cb8c5b:0xfa0b338e0b063a83!2m2

!1d-63.5094457!2d44.8859455

Habib, M. A., Leckovic, K. D., & Richardson, D. (2011). Travel Behaviour Study

of Commuters: Results from the 2010 Dalhousie University Sustainability Survey.

Retrieved from:

https://www.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sustainability/Transportation/CommuterSur

veyReport2010_DalTRAC_RevisedAugust2012.pdf

McNutt, R. (2013, October 31). 18,500 and counting - Dal News - Dalhousie University.

Retrieved from http://www.dal.ca/news/2013/10/31/18-500-and-counting.html

Palys, T. & Atchison, C. (2014). Research decisions: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed

methods approaches. Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd.

Pardo, C. F., Jiemian, Y., Hongyuan, Y., & Mohanty, C. R. (n.d.). Sustainable urban transport. A

guide for sustainable urban transport in the 21st century (pp. 1-38). Shanghai, China:

Author.

Salonen, M., Broberg, A., Kyttä, M., & Toivonen, T. (2014). Do suburban residents prefer the

fastest or low-carbon travel modes? Combining public participation GIS and multimodal

travel time analysis for daily mobility research. Applied Geography, 53, 438-448.

doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2014.06.028

SurveyMonkey. (2016). Sample Size Calculator. Retrieved from

https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/sample-size-calculator/

Virtual Tourist. (2016). Province of Nova Scotia Transportation. Retrieved from

https://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/Canada/Province_of_Nova_Scotia/Tr

ansportation-Province_of_Nova_Scotia-TG-C-1.html

Wright, T. S. A. (2006). Giving “teeth” to an environmental policy: a Delphi Study at Dalhousie

University. Journal of Cleaner Production, 14(9-11), 761-768.

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2005.12.007

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Nathan Ayer, our TA and mentor, and Tarah Wright, our professor, for your

guidance on our project. Also, thank you to DSUSO for your help in funding this project.

26

Appendix A - Preliminary Questions

Preliminary questions (executed orally):

Are you an undergraduate student at Dal? (If yes, continue to next question)

Did you travel to the airport in the fall semester of 2015? (If yes, continue to survey)

Appendix B - Survey

The following survey was conducted in an interview style:

What is your faculty and program of study? ___________________________________ What mode of transportation did you use to travel to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport during the fall semester of 2015? (Please circle all that apply)

a. Metro Transit (bus)

b. Shuttle Service

c. Limousine Service (eg. Driver Dave’s)

d. Taxi

e. Got a lift from someone

f. Drove and parked vehicle at the airport

g. Other (Please explain) ____________________

Why, in the fall of 2015, did you use the particular mode(s) that you selected above? Please explain for each mode selected. ____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Appendix C - Ethics Application Form

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMES

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY

APPLICATION FOR ETHICS REVIEW OF RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS UNDERGRADUATE THESES AND IN NON-THESIS COURSE PROJECTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

27

1. Title of Project: Modes and Motivations of for students’ transportation to the Stanfield International Airport. Table 5: Contact information for the project supervisor and investigators.

2. Faculty

Supervisor(s) Department Ext: e-mail

Tarah Wright Environmental

Sciences 902.494.3683 tarah.wright@dal.ca

3. Student

Investigator(s Department e-mail Local Telephone

Number

Kevin Brown Environmental

Sciences kv330699@dal.ca 778-899-0961

Aiyana Graham English, German,

and Sustainability aiyanajgraham@gmail.com 902-818-8013

Joanna Burris Community design

and Sustainability joanna.burris@dal.ca

902-814-0814

Kayleigh

Morgan Environmental

Sustainability and

Society

kayleighmorgan94@gmail.com 902-402-5146

Alexa Goodman Marine Biology,

Environmental

Sustainability and

Society

alexa.goodman@hotmail.com 514-941-7996

4. Level of Project:

Non-thesis Course Project [ X ] Undergraduate [ ] Graduate Specify course and number: ENVS 3502

5. a. Indicate the anticipated commencement date for this project: March 9th, 2016 b. Indicate the anticipated completion date for this project: April 20th, 2016.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED RESEARCH

1. Purpose and Rationale for Proposed Research Briefly describe the purpose (objectives) and rationale of the proposed project and include any hypothesis(es)/research questions to be investigated.

Our project will explore how Dalhousie students commute to the Robert L. Stanfield International

Airport and their motivation for their chosen mode of transportation. This data and the resulting analysis will be forwarded to the DSU Office of Sustainability and to the President of Dalhousie in an attempt to present any outstanding need for transportation and to display the habits and behaviours of Dalhousie

28

student. Additionally, it may inform future educational initiatives or further research regarding the sustainability of students’ transportation to the airport.

2. Methodology/Procedures a. Which of the following procedures will be used? Provide a copy of all materials to be used in this study.. [ ] Survey(s) or questionnaire(s) (mail-back) [ X ] Survey(s) or questionnaire(s) (in person) [ ] Computer-administered task(s) or survey(s)] [ ] Interview(s) (in person) [ ] Interview(s) (by telephone) [ ] Focus group(s) [ ] Audio taping [ ] Videotaping

[ ] Analysis of secondary data (no involvement with human participants) [ ] Unobtrusive observations

[ ] Other, specify __________________________________________________________

b. Provide a brief, sequential description of the procedures to be used in this study. For studies involving multiple procedures or sessions, the use of a flow chart is recommended.

Following the development of the survey and ethics approval, researchers will pair up and sample different parts of Dalhousie campus to distribute the survey. Each location sampled will be one where an equally representative variety of students can be found, such as the Killam library or the Student Union Building. Upon the successful completion of approximately 375 surveys, their results will be gathered and analyzed. Finally, the summary statistics of transportation modes and the qualitative results of the motivation behind mode choice will be assembled and submitted to Tarah Wright, DSUSO, and the President of Dalhousie. 3. Participants Involved in the Study

a. Indicate who will be recruited as potential participants in this study.

Dalhousie Participants: [ X ] Undergraduate students [ ] Graduate students [ ] Faculty and/or staff

Non-Dal Participants: [ ] Children [ ] Adolescents [ ] Adults [ ] Seniors [ ] Persons in Institutional Settings (e.g. Nursing Homes, Correctional Facilities)

[ ] Other (specify) _________________________________________

b. Describe the potential participants in this study including group affiliation, gender, age range and any other special characteristics. If only one gender is to be recruited, provide a justification for this.

29

Any student may participate in the study so long as they are current undergraduate students of Dalhousie University that travelled to the airport in the fall semester of 2015. No other qualities for selection will be employed. c. How many participants are expected to be involved in this study? We intend to gather a sample of 375 student survey responses to adequately fulfill a 95% confidence interval for the Dalhousie undergraduate population. 4. Recruitment Process and Study Location a. From what source(s) will the potential participants be recruited?

[ ] Dalhousie University undergraduate and/or graduate classes [ X ] Other Dalhousie sources (specify): Students will be approached on campus and asked to participate in the survey. [ ] Local School Boards [ ] Halifax Community [ ] Agencies [ ] Businesses, Industries, Professions [ ] Health care settings, nursing homes, correctional facilities, etc. [ ] Other, specify (e.g. mailing lists) ___________________________________________

b. Identify who will recruit potential participants and describe the recruitment process.

Provide a copy of any materials to be used for recruitment (e.g. posters(s), flyers, advertisement(s), letter(s), telephone and other verbal scripts).

All recruitment for the survey will take place in person by the study’s investigators. 5. Compensation of Participants

Will participants receive compensation (financial or otherwise) for participation? Yes [ X ] No [ ] If Yes, provide details:

Each participant who completes the survey will be offered a gratuity chocolate as a token of appreciation for taking the time to assist in the research. 6. Feedback to Participants

Briefly describe the plans for provision of feedback and attach a copy of the feedback letter to

be used. Wherever possible, written feedback should be provided to study participants including a statement of appreciation, details about the purpose and predictions of the study, contact information for the researchers, and the ethics review and clearance statement. Note: When available, a copy of an executive summary of the study outcomes also should be provided to participants.

The study’s participants will be made aware of a means by which to contact the group via information on the survey for access to the final submission, data, and analysis. Please find the attached sample survey in Appendix B.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS FROM THE STUDY

30

1. Identify and describe any known or anticipated direct benefits to the participants from their involvement in the project. By participating in the project, the participants will become aware of alternative modes of transportation by which to reach the Stanfield International Airport. Additionally, upon release of the final report, they will be able see if a more suitable mode of transportation is available to them, as indicated by their motivation.

2. Identify and describe any known or anticipated benefits to society from this study. As a result of the dissemination of the study’s results, Halifax society will become more aware of the trends in transportation modes and the driving motivations behind each. As such, if there a strong motivation for a choice that could be better expressed or executed, Halifax society would be presented with an opportunity to fill the niche.

POTENTIAL RISKS TO PARTICIPANTS FROM THE STUDY

1. For each procedure used in this study, provide a description of any known or anticipated risks/stressors to the participants. Consider physiological, psychological, emotional, social, economic, legal, etc. risks/stressors

[ X ] No known or anticipated risks

Explain why no risks are anticipated: The risks are minimal to study participants, as the only component with which they shall be involved is the survey’s completion. The survey has been pilot tested, and no uncomfortable sentiments have been expressed with its contents, which do not inquire into any personal or sensitive information.

[ ] Minimal risk Description of risks:

[ ] Greater than minimal risk

Description of risks:

2. Describe the procedures or safeguards in place to protect the physical and psychological health of the participants in light of the risks/stresses identified in Question 1.

If at any time during the completion of the survey the participant becomes uncomfortable with contents of the survey, they may unequivocally excuse themselves from the remainder or entirety of the survey. Additionally, investigators will be present to explain or justify the need for any requested information and assist in alieving any concerns brought forth.

INFORMED CONSENT PROCESS

Refer to:

http://pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/policystatement/section2.cfm

1. What process will be used to inform the potential participants about the study details and to obtain their consent for participation?

[ ] Information letter with written consent form; provide a copy [ ] Information letter with verbal consent; provide a copy [ ] Information/cover letter; provide a copy

31

[ X ] Other (specify) A disclosure at the initiation of the survey, as well as written indication upon the survey itself, will serve to infer the participants willing consent to participate in the survey.

2. If written consent cannot be obtained from the potential participants, provide a justification.

N/A

ANONYMITY OF PARTICIPANTS AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA

1. Explain the procedures to be used to ensure anonymity of participants and confidentiality of data both during the research and in the release of the findings.

No information regarding the identification of the study participants will be collected in the process

of the survey, and there will be no record of their involvement in the final report. Following the report’s submission, the individual surveys will be destroyed by paper shredder and recycled.

2. Describe the procedures for securing written records, questionnaires, video/audio tapes and electronic data, etc.

Each anonymously completed survey will be securely stored in the private residence of an investigator. As mentioned, even in the case of a breach of security, no personal or contact information will be on the surveys to compromise the participant’s safety.

3. Indicate how long the data will be securely stored, the storage location, and the method to be used for final disposition of the data.

[ X ] Paper Records

[ ] Confidential shredding after ______ years [ ] Data will be retained indefinitely in a secure location [ X ] Data will be retained until completion of specific course. [ ] Audio/Video Recordings [ ] Erasing of audio/video tapes after ______ years [ ] Data will be retained indefinitely in a secure location [ ] Data will be retained until completion of specific course. [ ] Electronic Data [ ] Erasing of electronic data after ______ years [ ] Data will be retained indefinitely in a secure location [ ] Data will be retained until completion of specific course. [ ] Other

______________________________________________________________________

(Provide details on type, retention period and final disposition, if applicable)

Specify storage location: 6311 Payzant Ave. Halifax, NS.

ATTACHMENTS

Please check below all appendices that are attached as part of your application package: [ ] Recruitment Materials: A copy of any poster(s), flyer(s), advertisement(s), letter(s),

telephone or other verbal script(s) used to recruit/gain access to participants.

32

[ ] Information Letter and Consent Form(s). Used in studies involving interaction with participants (e.g. interviews, testing, etc.)

[ X ] Information/Cover Letter(s). Used in studies involving surveys or questionnaires. [ ] Parent Information Letter and Permission Form for studies involving minors. [ X ] Materials: A copy of all survey(s), questionnaire(s), interview questions, interview

themes/sample questions for open-ended interviews, focus group questions, or any standardized tests used to collect data.

33

Appendix D - Schedules

Figure 7. Gantt Chart of timeline for project completion.

34

Figure 8. Daily schedule for survey distribution.

Appendix E - Budget Breakdown

Table 6. Project budget plan.

Appendix F - Communication Plan

Table 7. Detailed communication plan.

Tool Objective Target Audience

Final

Report

Inform future decisions on student

transportation options in Halifax

Department of Environmental Sciences &

Office of Sustainability

1 page

executive

summary

Knowledge mobilization - inform

key people of valuable information

found in the study

Rochelle Owen (Director of the Office of

Sustainability) and University President

Dr. Richard Florizone

35

Pecha

Kucha

Information sharing Instructor, mentors, and students of

SUST 3502

36

Appendix G – Research Proposal

Ground Transportation Mystery:

Dalhousie University’s Undergraduates’ Ground

Transportation Choices to the Robert L. Stanfield

International Airport.

Group Chico Mendes: Kevin Brown, Joanna Burris, Alexa Goodman, Aiyana

Graham and Kayleigh Morgan

With the Guidance of Nathan Ayer and Tarah Wright

ENVS 3502

March 3, 2016

37

Contents

1.0 Project Definition ....................................................................................................................... 38

2.0 Background and Rationale .......................................................................................................... 39

2.1 Modes of Travel ................................................................................................................................ 39

2.2 Transportation Emissions .................................................................................................................. 39

2.3 Why the Airport? .............................................................................................................................. 40

2.4 Current Programs in Place ................................................................................................................ 40

2.5 Responsibility for Action ................................................................................................................... 41

3.0 Research Methods ...................................................................................................................... 42

3.1 Study Area ......................................................................................................................................... 42

3.2 Proposed Methods ............................................................................................................................ 43

3.2.0 Survey Development .................................................................................................................. 43

3.2.1 Sample population ..................................................................................................................... 44

3.2.2 Data Collection Process .............................................................................................................. 44

3.2.3 Methods of Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 46

3.3 Limitations ......................................................................................................................................... 48

3.4 Delimitations ..................................................................................................................................... 48

4.0 Ethics ......................................................................................................................................... 49

5.0 Schedule .................................................................................................................................... 49

6.0 Budget ....................................................................................................................................... 49

7.0 Deliverables and Communication Plan ........................................................................................ 49

References ....................................................................................................................................... 51

Appendix A - Preliminary Questions ................................................................................................. 51

Appendix B - Survey ......................................................................................................................... 52

Appendix C - Ethics Application Form................................................................................................ 26

Appendix D - Schedule ..................................................................................................................... 61

Appendix E - Budget Breakdown....................................................................................................... 62

Appendix F - Communication Plan .................................................................................................... 63

38

1.0 Project Definition

In the 21st century, there has been a global effort to make transportation more sustainable. This

is often done by adapting cities and systems to be more accommodating to active transportation and

low-impact modes of transport (Deakin, 2001). In order to achieve global change on this front,

adjustment is required at every level, even at the micro scale, such as here at Dalhousie University. A

previous study has determined that public transportation is used most often for longer trips and can be

communally shared, while having a lesser impact on the environment (Salonen et al., 2014). Although

for 44% of trips studied, the fastest transportation mode was chosen, and it emits more CO2 emissions

(Salonen et al. 2014). This suggests that there is opportunity for a mode that is fast yet environmentally

friendly. In this study, we would like to determine what the rationale is for students at Dalhousie

University when it comes to selecting transportation modes to the airport. Our study is important

because it is providing the preliminary exploratory research into which modes are most commonly used

by undergraduate students at Dalhousie Universities to get to the Robert L. Stanfield International

Airport, which will help create a foundation for future projects.

According to Dalhousie’s website, 56% of the school’s students come from out of province each

year, with an additional 14% being international students. This means that out of approximately 18,000

students at Dal, several thousand are required to travel to and from the city by airplane (Dalhousie

University, 2016). Although they may not have a choice regarding which major form of transportation to

use, many modes of ground access to the airport exist and are available to students. Since all of the

methods currently available require consumption of fossil fuel and related greenhouse gas emissions,

student travel to the airport could be contributing to a number of environmental problems, such as

depletion of non-renewable resources and contributions to global warming (Barrett & Scott 2003). This

project provide insight on the travelling behaviour of university students’ so that travelling to the airport

does not inherently require environmental degradation.

Our project will be the first to explore and document how Dalhousie students are getting to the

Robert L. Stanfield International Airport and their reasoning for choosing their mode of transportation.

Further studies will be needed to determine which mode is most sustainable in the context of Halifax.

This will provide information to the Office of Sustainability, Department of Environmental Sciences, and

the University President to educate students’ sustainable transportation choices and potentially

influence change in transportation availability and accessibility to students. This research project is

important because it will help to understand student behaviour and the influences on their decisions

regarding transportation. We hope that our research provides opportunities to use the data to educate

students on the impact of their behavior. Additionally, a further study could be conducted to determine

which modes listed in our survey (Appendix B) are the most sustainable choices. This ongoing research

might someday help improve the transportation system in Halifax.

Due to the short timeframe of this research project, which is approximately one month, our

research will focus only on students at Dalhousie’s Studley Campus and only on their travels to the

airport in the fall of 2015. The project will also be exploratory, and thus will include research and

analysis, but with limited discussion of suggestions moving forward and potentialities. Our research will

answer the question: What mode(s) of transportation did Dalhousie undergraduate students on the

39

Studley campus use to get to the Robert L. Stanfield International Airport, and why, in the fall term of

2015?

2.0 Background and Rationale

There is a large number of out-of-province students at Dalhousie University. Available data for

2013 indicates that 56% of Dalhousie students are from out of province and over 115 countries are

represented (McNutt, 2013). These students often go home during the school year for various reasons.

The Halifax Stanfield International Airport is located 40.4 km away from Dalhousie University. Students

have many options to choose from to travel there. Some of these modes include individual cars,

carpooling, bus routes, shuttles, taxis, and independent limousine services. Each of these transport

methods varies in their environmental impacts and emissions. Our study will determine which modes

are most popular and why. When we know what motivates students’ choices, we can use our data to

inform others on how to better tailor transportation initiatives to match students’ desires and needs.

2.1 Modes of Travel

People use many modes of transportation to get around in their day-to-day activities and

commitments. A study by Salonen et al. in 2014 looked at which modes of transportation people used in

Finland most often and for what purpose. They found that using a slower mode of transport usually

produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions. This is important when applied to longer trips as well. The

accessibility of these slower modes, such as biking, busing, and walking, correlates with the frequency

with which they are used. For example, they found that when bus route connections were good, they

were used more often (Salonen et al., 2014). Interestingly, shopping trips generally have higher

emissions because of the many stops required, especially when using a car (Salonen et al., 2014). This

could be avoided if public transport and more sustainable methods were accessible and widespread.

This knowledge can be applied to our study as it provides insight to the motivations for choosing

transportation modes.

2.2 Transportation Emissions

The burning of fossil fuels and related emissions to the atmosphere is of increasing concern, and

the transportation sector is a leading contributor to fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas

emissions. An example of this is that 22% of total CO2 emissions in the UK come from road transport

alone (Barrett & Scott, 2003). This is relevant to our study because it illustrates how significant the

impact from transportation can be. As a university engaged in sustainable development, Dalhousie

University should be able to provide its students with access to cheaper, easier, and greener options

(Beringer et al., 2008). Busses, carpools, and multi-passenger vehicles all range in emissions/per

passenger, and each have their own environmentally sustainable benefits (Barrett & Scott, 2003).

40

2.3 Why the Airport?

While Dalhousie University’s out-of-province student ratio makes our study relevant, the

importance and volume of travel to the airport also contributes to this. A similar study to ours,

conducted as a case study in Columbus, Ohio, maintains that “it is becoming increasingly important to

understand how passengers make their travel choices for their trips to and from the airports, whether

there is a market for alternative modes of transportation, and the effects of ground access

transportation characteristics” (Akar, 2013, p.25). The study followed a similar format as our data

collection process, by surveying their sample population at a given airport in the area, and asking

questions relevant to the mode of transportation used to get there. Air travel is only increasing, with

globalization and world travel becoming easier and more accessible to the masses. As shown in Table 1,

over 87% of passengers at the airport had arrived by automobile (Akar, 2013).

Table 1. The results of the survey conducted by Akar in 2013, in a Columbus, Ohio airport. N represents number of respondents, followed by

the percent that fall into the category.

More people electing to take personal cars leads to greater emissions. Additionally, it is important to

note the travel party size, most passengers travel as a party of only one. This opens up great opportunity

for carpool initiatives or perhaps a shuttle service to engage these people into group transport.

Another case study carried out in Korea confirms the importance of evaluating transportation

mode choice holistically. In particular, they examined whether trip purpose, travel time, and travel cost

varied between airport ground access modes (Choo et al., 2007). In order to understand the choices air

passengers make for their mode of transportation to the airport, their motivations must first be

determined.

2.4 Current Programs in Place

Currently at Dalhousie University, there is no singular mode of airport transportation endorsed

by the institution. As the majority of the student population comes from outside of the province, we will

41

be providing the information to begin the process of filling this gap. Much like the Dalhousie University

Sustainability Survey which studied modes of transportation used to commute to Dalhousie campus, our

goal is to analyze the patterns of student transportation (Habib et al., 2011). Trends found in a recent

transportation survey - a portion of the Dalhousie University Sustainability Survey - found that

commuters increasingly less likely to carpool or walk to the university, as seen in Figure 1 (Habib et al.,

2011).

Figure 1. Changes in modes of transportation taken by students in 2009 vs 2010, as ways of commuting to Dalhousie campus (Habib et al.

2011).

The same study showed that 60% of students felt positively (answered “yes”) about carpooling

as an option. This shows that while students say they are willing, there is an obvious lack of accessibility

or motivation as they do not follow through. We intend to decipher these choices in the context of

ground transportation to the airport through our study.

2.5 Responsibility for Action

Dalhousie University is the largest post-secondary institution in the Atlantic Provinces (Wright,

2006). It has a large, widespread, and renowned collection of academic faculties. In 1990, an

Environmental Policy (EP) was taken on by the university, a precursor to later environmentally astute

initiatives. Nearly a decade later, the university signed the Talloires Declaration University Leaders for a

Sustainable Future (Beringer et al., 2008). This formal commitment initially composed in 1990, was the

first official statement made by university administrators that they would commit their higher education

institutions to environmentally sustainable practices in the future. For Dalhousie, it reiterated many of

the same points constituted in the original EP of 1990 (and later revisions), but also included steps for

action that its former severely lacked (Wright, 2006). It includes ten points in the form of an action plan

to incorporate sustainability not only into college and university curriculums, but also into their

programs and operations. This is only one example of a formally ratified commitment that Dalhousie

42

University has made to progressively become more sustainable. As a consequence of these policies, the

following years have brought about the uprising of many sustainability-driven operations. The university

now boasts many societies - both student and faculty - as well as several curriculums focusing on

matters related to environmental sustenance, and the newly instated “College of Sustainability”. These

all contribute to the long- and short-term execution of environmental sustainability on campus, and act

as potential mediums for us to project our initiatives in the future. Dalhousie University makes for a very

relevant test subject in this study.

Our study is important for Dalhousie University because student transportation to the airport

has not been prioritized before, even though over half of the students are from out of province and will

most likely need to travel by air during their undergraduate scholarly careers.

3.0 Research Methods

To answer our research question (see page _), we created a short pencil-and-paper survey using

a mixed methods approach, with both qualitative and quantitative questions (Appendix B). The survey

has single response, categorical, and open-ended questions to give us a variety of data. Having a variety

of question types helps us to include the specific questions we need answered in order to address our

research question. The open-ended question in the survey will also help with the exploratory research

associated with our study. In order to ensure that the data we collect is relevant to our question, we

created a preliminary survey that will be administered orally to screen potential participants and weed

out those that are not in our target population (see Appendix A).

The survey will be administered by hand on a paper questionnaire using multistage cluster

sampling. By administering the survey by hand we have a chance to interact with the participants and

give a preliminary survey orally to make sure they fit the sampling frame (Appendix A). The survey will

be administered only on the Studley Campus as it is the most likely to fit our sampling frame, thus will

give us the most reliable data. The study is designed to target only the sample population and to help

determine which mode of transportation was most used by Dalhousie undergraduate students on the

Studley campus to get to the Robert L. Stanfield International Airport, and why, in the fall term of 2015.

After collection, the data will be coded using a combination of a priori and grounded a posteriori

coding schemes. The coded data will be inputted into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using descriptive

statistics.

3.1 Study Area

The study area of the research will be limited to the Killam Library Atrium and the Student Union

Building Lobby on the Studley Campus. Although the study is limited to the Studley Campus, it is not

restricted to students from other campuses if they are in the designated area while we administer the

survey. Surveys will be administered exclusively at these locations to narrow the scope of our research,

and to be as inclusive and unbiased to the Dalhousie population as possible. We also believe that the

Studley Campus has the highest number of undergraduate students at Dalhousie University from an

array of faculties.

43

3.2 Proposed Methods

3.2.0 Survey Development

To collect our data, we are going to create a pencil-and-paper questionnaire, as it is called by

Palys and Atchison (2014) in their book Research Decisions: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed

Methods Approaches. There are many reasons why this type of survey is the best fit for our research

project. A pencil-and-paper survey is an easy way to gather data anonymously, since we will not be

asking for identifying information, and it will also allow us to collect a fairly large amount of information

in a short amount of time (Palys & Atchison, 2014). The questionnaires are fairly inexpensive since the

only costs are for paper, printing and pencils. A big advantage to this type of questionnaire is that it can

be conducted in a particular geographic area where members of the sampling frame are likely to be,

compared with an online or mail-in questionnaire (Palys & Atchison, 2014). We are going to distribute

the survey in central locations at Dal where we will come across many people in our sampling frame. An

in-person survey will also work better for us than a mail-in or browser-based survey because we will be

able to answer any questions the respondents might have. Additionally, the pencil-and-paper

questionnaire does not require respondents to be computer-literate, although this is not a big issue in

the university setting (Palys & Atchison, 2014).

Our only method for data collection for this project is a survey posing questions to respondents

that will help us to answer the research question. The creation of the survey is the first step in our data

collection process. The full survey can be found in Appendix B. The survey is short and combines single-

response, categorical and open-ended questions in order to get the best type of answers for each part

of our research question.

In order to find out what type of transportation students used, we will ask a categorical question

which lists all the reasonable ways to get to the airport that we could come up with. Using categorical

response items will allow us to analyze the data easily, since there will be a limited number of

categories, and it makes sense since there are only a limited number of plausible ways to get to the

airport. We will provide an exhaustive list of modes and also include an “Other” option in case someone

used an unanticipated travel mode. Our response items will not be mutually exclusive, however,

because it is possible that someone traveled to the airport more than once and used a different mode

each time; therefore it is a multiple-response item categorical question (Palys & Atchison, 2014).

We are going to use an open-ended question to determine the reasoning behind respondents’

choices of transportation. We are interested in hearing exactly what our respondents’ thoughts were

without being influenced by options to choose from. Palys and Atchison (2014) state that open-ended

questions are “minimally affected by external influence or by suggestion emerging from the structure of

the research instrument itself” (pp.164-165), so we believe that an open-ended question is the best way

to limit influence from our survey technique. Our study is based on an exploratory research question

and an open-ended survey question allows us to receive answers from respondents that we might not

have considered (Palys & Atchison, 2014). It is important to us that we find out the real reason that

motivated students to choose a particular mode. Using a categorical question, for example, might have

influenced respondents to change their answer based on the options we predicted and provided. We

are only including one open-ended question so that respondents will be likely to complete the survey

44

(Palys & Atchison, 2014). We also only require one open-ended question to answer our research

question.

At the start of the survey we will also include two single-response item questions in order to get

a bit of background information on our respondents. This will help us to identify trends in the data

during our analysis process. We chose this type of question because we are asking specific questions

such as “What program are you in?” and “Do you live on campus?”. Palys and Atchison (2014) describe

that single-response questions are a good option for supplying specific information. Although Palys and

Atchison (2014) also state that respondents can be reluctant to provide personal information in the

form of a number or one-word response, our single-response questions do not require very personal

answers. We believe that most respondents will be willing to reveal their program and whether or not

they live on campus.

3.2.1 Sample population

Our sample population consists of all undergraduate students present on Dalhousie’s Studley

Campus who traveled to the airport during the fall of 2015. In 2013 there were 14,650 undergraduate

students at Dal, with 70% being from outside of Nova Scotia (McNutt, 2013). This means the total

sampling population is roughly 10,255 students. This estimation assumes that all students travelling

from out of province travel by air. There is no way for us to identify all of these students because we

only have an estimation, so we will not be using a sampling frame. As a result, we will be using

multistage cluster sampling to survey these students. Due to the large sample population, we are

required to use a probabilistic sampling technique.

In order to determine an appropriate sample size for our research, we will use the number

10,255 as our total sample population, which assumes that all students living outside Nova Scotia travel

by air (see Delimitations for further information, p.14). We took this total sample population and

plugged in into a sample size calculator on the website SurveyMonkey (2016), which calculates the ideal

sample size using standard deviation. It provided us with a sample size of 371, considering our data has

confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5% (SurveyMonkey, 2016). We also double checked this

value on several other sample size calculating sites, which gave us the same result. Therefore during our

survey process, we will attempt to survey 375 eligible respondents. This number gives us a bit of room in

case a couple surveys are not answered correctly or respectfully.

3.2.2 Data Collection Process

Our sample population consists of undergraduate students present on Dalhousie’s Studley

Campus who traveled to the airport during the fall of 2015. In order to locate an assortment of students

in different programs and living on and off campus, we decided to distribute our surveys at the Killam

Library and Student Union Building at Dalhousie, since they are locations that many students frequent

daily and they are not associated with a particular faculty. Both buildings also sell food and are therefore

likely to attract numerous students throughout the day.

We will print the survey, two per piece of legal sized paper which we will cut in half using a

paper cutter from Campus Copy. Other materials we will require are multiple pencils (in case they get

45

lost or dull) and two clipboards per pair of researchers. We will also purchase inexpensive chocolates to

give to respondents that complete the survey as an incentive.

Before beginning the actual survey process, we will pilot the survey on 10 respondents who are

outside of the sample frame. This will tell us whether the survey is easily understandable and whether

respondents provide useful responses based on our questions.

The actual survey will be conducted over the course of one week, during multiple times of day.

The times and durations of our data collection sessions will be dictated by our class schedules, and

therefore will differ each day. Replicating this survey will likely require the use of different data

collection times from those that we use, but we do not believe that changing the times of day will affect

the data. Our main goal for distributing our surveying times is to be present at each of the data

collection locations (Killam and SUB) for most of the times between 9:00am and 4:00pm, spread over

the course of one week. We will aim to distribute 75 surveys per day; each day once we have achieved

that goal we were terminate the data collection process for the day.

Researchers will pair up to distribute surveys. There will always be two researchers at a location

when we are distributing surveys, although both may approach potential respondents individually in

order to be as efficient as possible. Therefore, there may be up to two respondents completing the

survey at a time per location. When approaching students, researchers will greet them, state their name

and that they are in a research methods class conducting a survey on student transportation.

Researchers will then ask the student if they are willing to complete the survey. If students seem

reluctant, we can also let them know that they will receive chocolate if they complete the survey. If

students say yes, the researcher will explain that there are a couple of preliminary questions and will ask

the questions from Appendix A. These questions will identify whether the student is part of the sample

population, meaning that they are an undergraduate student at Dal who traveled to the airport in the

fall semester of 2015. If they are not eligible to complete the survey, we will thank them anyway and

give them a piece of chocolate for their time. It is important to explain to the ineligible respondents that

we are only surveying undergraduate Dal students that traveled to the airport so that they understand

why they are not being considered.

When a researcher has identified an eligible respondent, one who fits into the sample

population, they will proceed with the written survey. Researchers will hand the respondent one survey

on a clipboard and a pencil, and will tell the respondent to ask if they need clarification on any of the

questions. When the respondent has completed the survey, the researcher will give the respondent a

piece of chocolate (if they want it) and will thank them for their time.

At the end of a data collection session, researchers will compile all the surveys they collected

during that time, paperclip them together and write the date and approximate time when the surveys

were completed. This will allow the researchers to keep an accurate record of how many were collected

during each time of day in order to try to balance the completion of surveys throughout the day. If we

cannot collect 75 surveys during the time that researchers are available that day, the additional surveys

will be pushed to the next day, and so on. All surveys will be counted at the end of each day, by

researchers from both locations, in order to know how many more need to be distributed. At the end of

the week, all surveys will be compiled and counted. If researchers were unable to find 371 eligible and

46

willing respondents, they may continue distributing surveys the next week if time permits. At the very

end of the data collection process, the data will be compiled and analyzed, as per the Methods of Data

Analysis section (p. 11).

3.2.3 Methods of Data Analysis

There will be both quantitative and qualitative data to analyze from our surveys, so we will use a

mixed methods approach. The quantitative data collected will indicate how many students use each

type of transportation mode, while the qualitative data will pertain to students’ motivations in choosing

that mode (Appendix B). The biggest part of our data analysis will be the coding of our data, after which

point the coded data will be inputted into an Excel spreadsheet. We will then use descriptive statistics

and diagrams to interpret and display our data.

The first step we will take to analyze the survey data is to go through the surveys one at a time

and code the answers to our qualitative question: “Why, in the fall of 2015, did you use the particular

mode(s) that you selected above? Please explain.” We are going to do this question first because it will

take the most time to code. To do this we are going use a grounded a posteriori context-sensitive

scheme. This coding scheme makes the most sense because we are doing an exploratory research

project and grounded a posteriori coding will allow us to develop codes based on the data provided by

respondents (personal communication, T. Wright, 1 March 2016). It would not make sense for us to use

exploratory research and then try to predict which codes we should use to describe the data. Also, since

we did not find relevant literature on a study similar to ours, we will not be comparing to previous

literature and therefore are not required to use a priori coding.

In order to be efficient, and so that one person does not have to code 375 surveys, two people

are going to code the data. To begin, they are going to split the pile of surveys in two, and each flip

through one of the piles of surveys and jot down code ideas that they have for the data, based on a first

glance at it. The two group members will then confer with one another and decide which codes fit best

with the data they briefly observed. The researchers will then go through and code the data, adding

categories as necessary and comparing results to ensure consistency among the codes. When the coding

is complete, the researchers will switch piles and code the surveys again, making changes and adding or

removing codes as necessary and consulting one another the whole time. Finally, one of the two

researchers will go through the entire pile of surveys to make sure the coding is consistent. If it is not,

the two researchers will discuss the inconsistency and decide how to adjust the coding. If necessary,

they will go through the pile again.

The next step of data analysis we will take will be to code the first three questions on the survey

(see Appendix B). For the first question, we will use a combination of a priori context specific coding and

grounded a posteriori coding. We will create a list of the programs that we think are most common,

such as Bachelor of Arts, science, and commerce, and give each one a number code. We will then add

more codes depending on which additional programs the respondents are in. This coding will be done in

pairs but will be more straightforward than the final question. The only thing that we will have to be

aware of is the level of detail that respondents indicate about their program and whether programs like

biology and science, for example, would fit into separate codes or the same code. After the first round

47

of coding, the pair of researchers will go back through the surveys to see if the coding makes sense of if

they want to make any changes the second time.

For the second question, which asks respondents whether or not they live on campus, we will

simply assign the value 0 to “NO” and 1 to “YES”. This process will be straightforward coding and can be

done by as many group members are available to do it. After completion, the surveys should be

reviewed again to make sure numbers were assigned correctly.

The next question on the survey asks respondents what mode of transportation they used. Since

this is a categorical-response item, we have a pre-determined list of possible responses; therefore we

will use a priori content-specific coding. We will assign numbers to each mode that we have listed on the

survey. Because we have also included the option for respondents to select “Other” and explain, we will

use grounded a posteriori coding in order to code the additional answers that respondents supply.

Once we have coded all the survey data, we will assign a number to each survey. To do this, we

will simply put the surveys in a stack and number them from the top to the bottom. We will then input

the data into an excel spreadsheet. Table 3 shows what the spreadsheet will look like, with respondents’

numbers going all the way to 375. We will also create a key so that we know what each code represents.

Table 3. Excel Spreadsheet for Data Entry

Once the data is in the spreadsheet, we will use descriptive statistics to analyze it. The two

columns with the data that will help us to answer the research question are the Mode of Transport

column and the Motivation column, which has the codes for respondents’ answers to the why did you

choose that mode question. We will use the MODE function in excel in order to determine which mode

of transportation is used most often. Since our data is nominal, or categorical, the best central tendency

of distribution for our data is the mode (Palys & Atchison, 2014). Using Excel, we will also tabulate how

48

many respondents reported using each type of mode of transportation and create a pie chart with the

data.

In order to determine why the respondents made the choices they did, we will also analyze our

data on their reasoning. The first thing we will do is calculate the mode for the Motivation column. This

will tell us what reasons motivated the most people. We will also calculate, in Excel, how many of each

answer came up. Using this data, we will create a word cloud that shows the frequency of use of each

reason. We believe this will make a strong visual demonstration of how the undergraduate students

make their choices for transportation to the airport.

For more technical analysis, we will take each transportation mode and create a list of the

reasoning respondents used when choosing that mode, starting with the most frequent. We will do this

using formulae in Excel and will repeat the process with each mode of transportation. We will then

display this data using a clustered column diagram, with the number of respondents on one axis and

each mode with its reasonings on the other (the clusters will be according the mode of transportation

and the individual columns will be colour-coded to match a motivation).

As we look at and interpret the data from the charts and diagrams, we will look to see how the

program and location of residence of the respondent affected their decision. We will look for trends to

see, for example, if students off campus tend to make different decisions than students on campus.

3.3 Limitations

The limitations that are associated with our study are mainly due to the sample and time

constraints. As our sample population is only an estimate the data may not be as accurate, compared to

having a set sample frame with true random sampling. The time constraint is also an important factor

because certain people may not be on campus during the times we administered the survey during that

week. We tried to accommodate for this constraint as well as possible by choosing to administer the

survey at random times during the week we gather the data. By administering the survey in person it

may influence people to avoid us, as a mean of avoiding being approached and asked to take the survey.

As well, by having the participants fill out the survey themselves, the data may be falsified if a

participant were to lie. For example, this would include submitting answers based on the fact that it is

for a sustainability class.

3.4 Delimitations

The first delimitation to the study is the sample size that we chose. We used data from 2013 to

determine a rough estimate of the total population of undergraduate students that are from out of

province (McNutt, 2013). By using old data, the sample population may not be as large, or as small as it

should be. We also assumed that students from outside of Nova Scotia use air travel to return home, but

students from nearby provinces, such as New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, may not. We used

data from 2013 because it was provided on Dalhousie’s main website and would provide the most

reliable population estimate. We chose to limit the study to undergraduate students as there would be

49

more information, and they represent a larger proportion of the Dalhousie student population. As well,

they are also less likely to permanently reside in Halifax.

The methodology also has some delimitations, including the location and the survey itself. We

chose to limit the survey to the Studley campus because it is most feasible and fit the limited time frame

of the class to execute the study. We also limited the administration of the survey to the two locations,

the Killam Library and the Student Union Building, as means of feasibility. The locations were also

chosen based on of how inclusive they are to the majority of the Dalhousie undergraduate student

population. By administering the survey in person, it limits how respondents will be approached and

asked to complete it. Many people will likely avoid us as a way to avoid taking the survey. As well, by

having it only on paper and in person it will limit who is included in the study.

4.0 Ethics

See Appendix C for our ethics application.

5.0 Schedule

See Appendix D for our schedule.

6.0 Budget

For the administration of the survey and its dissemination, only two components are required,

the most significant being the costs associated with the production of the survey forms that participants

will be asked to complete. It has been determined that the most economic way of manufacturing the

surveys is to print two surveys on one side of legal sized printing paper, which will then be cut in half.

Only one side of the paper will be utilized to prevent the influence of others’ answers. At a cost of $0.12

per page, with two surveys per page at a quantity of 188 pages required, the cost of printing totals to

$22.56. Additionally, a further $10.00 is being allocated to the purchase of small chocolates as a thanks

to participants for completing the survey, bringing the grand total of the budget to $32.56. A detailed

breakdown of quantities can be found in Appendix E. We have applied for a grant for $15.00 from the

Dalhousie Student Union Office of Sustainability to assist in offsetting the cost of executing the survey.

All other costs, unforeseen and otherwise, will be absorbed by the study team.

7.0 Deliverables and Communication Plan

The deliverables for this research project will be presented digitally to Dalhousie’s Department

of Environmental Sciences website, as well as the Pecha Kucha presentation to our peers and advisors.

The Pecha Kucha will take place at the campus pub, the Grawood, on Tuesday, April 5th, 2016, and will

be a quick 20 slide PowerPoint presentation with an oral presentation to accompany it. The aim of the

Pecha Kucha is to explain our project and present our findings to our peers, including our instructors and

Dalhousie’s president, Dr. Richard Florizone, should he decide to attend. The final report for our project

will be submitted online to BbLearn on Monday April 11th, 2016 to present our findings. This formal

50

report will build off of the proposal and will include an executive summary, literature review, detailed

methods, results, a discussion, and conclusion section. As well, we will provide a one page executive

summary to Rochelle Owen, the Director of the Office of Sustainabilty and Dr. Richard Florizone, the

University President as a mean of information mobilization.

Our outlined communication plan which identifies our objectives, tools used and target

audience can be found in Appendix F.

51

References

Akar, G. (2013). Ground access to airports, case study: Port Columbus international airport. Journal of Air Transport Management, 30, 25–31. doi:10.1016/j.jairtraman.2013.04.002

Barrett, J., & Scott, A. (2003). The Application of the Ecological Footprint: A case of passenger transport in Merseyside. Local Environment, 8(2), 167-183. doi:10.1080/1354983032000048488

Beringer, A., Wright, T., & Malone, L. (2008). Sustainability in higher education in Atlantic Canada. Int J of Sus in Higher Ed, 9(1), 48-67. doi:10.1108/14676370810842184

Choo, S., You, S., & Lee, H. (2013). Exploring characteristics of airport access mode choice: a case study of Korea. Transportation Planning and Technology, 36(4), 335-351. doi:10.1080/03081060.2013.798484

Dalhousie University. (2016). Dal at a glance - about - Dalhousie University. Retrieved from

http://www.dal.ca/about-dal/dal-at-a-glance.html

Deakin, E. (2001). Sustainable development and sustainable transportation: Strategies for economic

prosperity, environmental quality, and equity. Institute of Urban & Regional Development. UC

Berkeley: Institute of Urban and Regional Development. Retrieved from:

http://escholarship.org/uc/item/0m1047xc

Habib, M. A., Leckovic, K. D., & Richardson, D. (2011). Travel Behaviour Study of Commuters: Results from the 2010 Dalhousie University Sustainability Survey. Retrieved from: https://www.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sustainability/Transportation/CommuterSurveyReport2010_DalTRAC_RevisedAugust2012.pdf

McNutt, R. (2013, October 31). 18,500 and counting - Dal News - Dalhousie University. Retrieved from http://www.dal.ca/news/2013/10/31/18-500-and-counting.html

Palys, T. & Atchison, C. (2014). Research decisions: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches. Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd.

Salonen, M., Broberg, A., Kyttä, M., & Toivonen, T. (2014). Do suburban residents prefer the fastest or low-carbon travel modes? Combining public participation GIS and multimodal travel time analysis for daily mobility research. Applied Geography, 53, 438-448. doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2014.06.028

SurveyMonkey. (2016). Sample Size Calculator. Retrieved from

https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/sample-size-calculator/

Wright, T. S. (2006). Giving “teeth” to an environmental policy: a Delphi Study at Dalhousie University.

Journal of Cleaner Production, 14(9-11), 761-768. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2005.12.007

Appendix A - Preliminary Questions

Preliminary questions (executed orally):

52

Are you a Dal student? (If yes, continue to next question)

Are you an undergraduate student? (If yes, continue to next question)

Did you travel to the airport in the fall semester of 2015? (If yes, continue to survey)

Appendix B - Survey

We are a group of 3rd year students in a research methods class. By completing and returning this survey, you are giving us consent to use the data you provide for our research project on student transportation. Your identity will be kept confidential and will not be associated in any way with your data past the point when you hand us your piece of paper.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our TA Nathan Ayer (nayer@dal.ca) or our prof Tarah Wright (tarah.wright@dal.ca).

Survey:

What is your program of study? ___________________________________

Do you live on campus? (Please circle one) YES / NO

What mode of transportation did you use to travel to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport during the fall semester of 2015? (Please circle all that apply)

a. Metro Transit (bus)

b. Shuttle Service

c. Limousine Service (eg. Driver Dave’s)

d. Taxi

e. Got a lift from someone

f. Drove and parked vehicle at the airport

g. Other (Please explain) ____________________

Why, in the fall of 2015, did you use the particular mode(s) that you selected above?

Please explain.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

...

53

Thank you very much for your time! Have a great day! :)

Appendix C - Ethics Application Form

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMES

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY

APPLICATION FOR ETHICS REVIEW OF RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS UNDERGRADUATE THESES AND IN NON-THESIS COURSE PROJECTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Title of Project: Modes and Motivations of for students transportation to the Stanfield International Airport.

Table 4: Contact information for the project supervisor and investigators.

2. Faculty

Supervisor(s) Department Ext: e-mail

Tarah Wright Environmental

Sciences 902.494.3683 tarah.wright@dal.ca

3. Student

Investigator(s Department e-mail Local Telephone

Number

Kevin Brown Environmental

Sciences kv330699@dal.ca 778-899-0961

Aiyana Graham English, German, and

Sustainability aiyanajgraham@gmail.com 902-818-8013

Joanna Burris Community design

and Sustainability Joanna.burris@dal.ca

902-814-0814

54

Kayleigh Morgan Environmental

Sustainability and

Society

kayleighmorgan94@gmail.com 902-402-5146

Alexa Goodman Marine Biology,

Environmental

Sustainability and

Society

alexa.goodman@hotmail.com 514-941-7996

4. Level of Project:

Non-thesis Course Project [ X ] Undergraduate [ ] Graduate

Specify course and number: ENVS 3502

5. a. Indicate the anticipated commencement date for this project: March 9th, 2016

b. Indicate the anticipated completion date for this project: April 20th, 2016.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED RESEARCH

1. Purpose and Rationale for Proposed Research

Briefly describe the purpose (objectives) and rationale of the proposed project and include any hypothesis(es)/research questions to be investigated.

Our project will explore how Dalhousie students commute to the Robert L. Stanfield International Airport and their motivation for their chosen mode of transportation. This data and the resulting analysis will be forwarded to the DSU Office of Sustainability and to the President of Dalhousie in an attempt to present any outstanding need for transportation and to display the habits and behaviours of Dalhousie student. Additionally, it may inform future educational initiatives or further research regarding the sustainability of students’ transportation to the airport.

2. Methodology/Procedures

a. Which of the following procedures will be used? Provide a copy of all materials to be used in

55

this study..

[ ] Survey(s) or questionnaire(s) (mail-back)

[ X ] Survey(s) or questionnaire(s) (in person)

[ ] Computer-administered task(s) or survey(s)]

[ ] Interview(s) (in person)

[ ] Interview(s) (by telephone)

[ ] Focus group(s)

[ ] Audio taping

[ ] Videotaping

[ ] Analysis of secondary data (no involvement with human participants)

[ ] Unobtrusive observations

[ ] Other, specify __________________________________________________________

b. Provide a brief, sequential description of the procedures to be used in this study. For studies involving multiple procedures or sessions, the use of a flow chart is recommended.

Following the development of the survey and ethics approval, researchers will pair up and sample different parts of Dalhousie campus to distribute the survey. Each location sampled will be one where an equally representative variety of students can be found, such as the Killam library or the Student Union Building. Upon the successful completion of approximately 375 surveys, their results will be gathered and analyzed. Finally, the summary statistics of transportation modes and the qualitative results of the motivation behind mode choice will be assembled and submitted to Tarah Wright, DSUSO, and the President of Dalhousie.

3. Participants Involved in the Study

a. Indicate who will be recruited as potential participants in this study.

Dalhousie Participants: [ X ] Undergraduate students

[ ] Graduate students

[ ] Faculty and/or staff

Non-Dal Participants: [ ] Children

[ ] Adolescents

[ ] Adults

56

[ ] Seniors

[ ] Persons in Institutional Settings (e.g. Nursing Homes, Correctional Facilities)

[ ] Other (specify) _________________________________________

b. Describe the potential participants in this study including group affiliation, gender, age range and any other special characteristics. If only one gender is to be recruited, provide a justification for this.

Any student may participate in the study so long as they are current undergraduate students of Dalhousie University that travelled to the airport in the fall semester of 2015. No other qualities for selection will be employed.

c. How many participants are expected to be involved in this study?

We intend to gather a sample of 375 student survey responses to adequately fulfill a 95% confidence interval for the Dalhousie undergraduate population.

4. Recruitment Process and Study Location

a. From what source(s) will the potential participants be recruited?

[ ] Dalhousie University undergraduate and/or graduate classes

[ X ] Other Dalhousie sources (specify):

Students will be approached on campus and asked to participate in the survey.

[ ] Local School Boards

[ ] Halifax Community

[ ] Agencies

[ ] Businesses, Industries, Professions

[ ] Health care settings, nursing homes, correctional facilities, etc.

[ ] Other, specify (e.g. mailing lists) ___________________________________________

b. Identify who will recruit potential participants and describe the recruitment process.

57

Provide a copy of any materials to be used for recruitment (e.g. posters(s), flyers, advertisement(s), letter(s), telephone and other verbal scripts).

All recruitment for the survey will take place in person by the study’s investigators.

5. Compensation of Participants

Will participants receive compensation (financial or otherwise) for participation? Yes [ X ] No [ ]

If Yes, provide details:

Each participant who completes the survey will be offered a gratuity chocolate as a token of appreciation for taking the time to assist in the research.

6. Feedback to Participants

Briefly describe the plans for provision of feedback and attach a copy of the feedback letter to be used. Wherever possible, written feedback should be provided to study participants including a statement of appreciation, details about the purpose and predictions of the study, contact information for the researchers, and the ethics review and clearance statement.

Note: When available, a copy of an executive summary of the study outcomes also should be provided to participants.

The study’s participants will be made aware of a means by which to contact the group via information on the survey for access to the final submission, data, and analysis. Please find the attached sample survey in Appendix B.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS FROM THE STUDY

1. Identify and describe any known or anticipated direct benefits to the participants from their involvement in the project.

58

By participating in the project, the participants will become aware of alternative modes of transportation by which to reach the Stanfield International Airport. Additionally, upon release of the final report, they will be able see if a more suitable mode of transportation is available to them, as indicated by their motivation.

2. Identify and describe any known or anticipated benefits to society from this study.

As a result of the dissemination of the study’s results, Halifax society will become more aware of the trends in transportation modes and the driving motivations behind each. As such, if there a strong motivation for a choice that could be better expressed or executed, Halifax society would be presented with an opportunity to fill the niche.

POTENTIAL RISKS TO PARTICIPANTS FROM THE STUDY

1. For each procedure used in this study, provide a description of any known or anticipated risks/stressors to the participants. Consider physiological, psychological, emotional, social, economic, legal, etc. risks/stressors

[ X ] No known or anticipated risks

Explain why no risks are anticipated: The risks are minimal to study participants, as the only component with which they shall be involved is the survey’s completion. The survey has been pilot tested, and no uncomfortable sentiments have been expressed with its contents, which do not inquire into any personal or sensitive information.

[ ] Minimal risk

Description of risks:

[ ] Greater than minimal risk

Description of risks:

2. Describe the procedures or safeguards in place to protect the physical and psychological health of the participants in light of the risks/stresses identified in Question 1.

If at any time during the completion of the survey the participant becomes uncomfortable with contents of the survey, they may unequivocally excuse themselves from the remainder or entirety of the survey. Additionally, investigators will be present to explain or justify the need for any requested information and assist in alieving any concerns brought forth.

59

INFORMED CONSENT PROCESS

Refer to:

http://pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/policystatement/section2.cfm

1. What process will be used to inform the potential participants about the study details and to obtain their consent for participation?

[ ] Information letter with written consent form; provide a copy

[ ] Information letter with verbal consent; provide a copy

[ ] Information/cover letter; provide a copy

[ X ] Other (specify) A disclosure at the initiation of the survey, as well as written indication upon the survey itself, will serve to infer the participants willing consent to participate in the survey.

2. If written consent cannot be obtained from the potential participants, provide a justification.

N/A

ANONYMITY OF PARTICIPANTS AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA

1. Explain the procedures to be used to ensure anonymity of participants and confidentiality of data both during the research and in the release of the findings.

No information regarding the identification of the study participants will be collected in the process of the survey, and there will be no record of their involvement in the final report. Following the report’s submission, the individual surveys will be destroyed by paper shredder and recycled.

2. Describe the procedures for securing written records, questionnaires, video/audio tapes and electronic data, etc.

Each anonymously completed survey will be securely stored in the private residence of an investigator. As mentioned, even in the case of a breach of security, no personal or contact information will be on the surveys to compromise the participant’s safety.

60

3. Indicate how long the data will be securely stored, the storage location, and the method to be used for final disposition of the data.

[ X ] Paper Records

[ ] Confidential shredding after ______ years

[ ] Data will be retained indefinitely in a secure location

[ X ] Data will be retained until completion of specific course.

[ ] Audio/Video Recordings

[ ] Erasing of audio/video tapes after ______ years [ ] Data will be retained indefinitely in a secure location

[ ] Data will be retained until completion of specific course.

[ ] Electronic Data

[ ] Erasing of electronic data after ______ years [ ] Data will be retained indefinitely in a secure location [ ] Data will be retained until completion of specific course.

[ ] Other ______________________________________________________________________

(Provide details on type, retention period and final disposition, if applicable)

Specify storage location: 6311 Payzant Ave. Halifax, NS.

ATTACHMENTS

Please check below all appendices that are attached as part of your application package:

[ ] Recruitment Materials: A copy of any poster(s), flyer(s), advertisement(s), letter(s), telephone or other verbal script(s) used to recruit/gain access to participants.

[ ] Information Letter and Consent Form(s). Used in studies involving interaction with participants (e.g. interviews, testing, etc.)

[ X ] Information/Cover Letter(s). Used in studies involving surveys or questionnaires.

[ ] Parent Information Letter and Permission Form for studies involving minors.

[ X ] Materials: A copy of all survey(s), questionnaire(s), interview questions, interview themes/sample questions for open-ended interviews, focus group questions, or any standardized tests used to collect data.

61

Appendix D - Schedule

62

Figure 2. Gantt Chart of timeline for project completion.

Appendix E - Budget Breakdown

Table 5. Project budget plan.

63

Appendix F - Communication Plan

Table 6. Detailed communication plan.

Tool Objective Target Audience

Final Report Inform future decisions on student transportation options in Halifax

Department of Environmental Sciences & Office of Sustainability

1 page summary Knowledge mobilization - inform key people of valuable information found in the study

Rochelle Owen (Director of the Office of Sustainability) and University President Dr. Richard Florizone

Pecha Kucha Information sharing Instructor, mentors, and students of SUST 3502

64

Appendix H - Data Code Equivalences for Survey Question

#3

Table 8: Criteria and explanation of how written responses gathered in the survey’s open ended question three were analyzed and coded for.

Question 3:

Why, in the fall of 2015, did you use the particular mode(s) that you selected above?

Code Motivation Explanation of Code

1 Sustainable Participant made mention of environmental, ecological, sustainable,

etc., motivation

2 Cheap Participant expressed the mode was inexpensive, low cost, etc. Used

terms like “cheap”, “cheaper”, “cost efficient” etc.

3 Free Participant expressed that the mode was free.

4 Fast Participant chose because the mode was fast, could get them to the

destination quickly.

5 Convenient Participant expressed that it was easy to use, easy to book,

opportune, favorable, etc.

6 Lack of Knowledge Participant did not know of a better alternative, only knew about the

option they took or had otherwise limited knowledge about other

modes.

7 Recommendation Participant selected the mode because it was recommended by

another person.

8 Habit Participant selected the mode out of personal habit. Used reasoning

such as “I always take the bus”.

9 Reliability Participant selected the mode because of previous service being

reliable (on-time), knew it would get them there when they needed to

be there, etc.

10 Availability Participant could only access the mode because it was the only one

available. For example, had to go to airport at 3am and couldn’t take

bus so had to take cab.

11 Comfort The mode was selected because it was comfortable.

12 Safety The mode was selected because it was perceived as safe by the

respondent.

65

Appendix I - Summary of Raw Data

Table 9: Summary table of raw data pertaining to survey question one on participant’s faculty with the adjoining codes.

13 Last minute The participant was in a situation with little time due to lack of

planning ahead (or other) and chose the mode because it could be

organized at the last minute.

14 Luggage Constraints The participant needed additional space for luggage that the mode

allowed for.

16 Family/Social The participant chose the mode because of their desire to travel in a

group or with family/friends. For example, wanting to take the bus

because several friends could easily accompany.

17 Lack of thought The participant did not express that they put any thought into their

decision.

18 Efficient The participant used the word efficient. It is unclear to us whether

they referred specifically to cost, fuel, time, etc.

19 Not in a rush The participant had time to spare which allowed for longer travel time.

20 Independence The mode was selected because it allowed for the participant’s

independence when travelling (did not need to depend on additional

factors/people).

21 Did not want to park

at airport

The participant did not want to park their vehicle at the airport.

66

Table 10: Summary table of raw data pertaining to survey question two on participants’ mode of transport with adjoining codes.

Table 11: Summary table of raw data pertaining to survey question three on participants’ motivations for choice of transport with adjoining codes. Note: Code #15 was excluded due to no returns. *DWTP: Acronym for ‘Did not want to park at airport’.

67

Table 12. Motivations provided by students who used Metro Transit.

Table 13. Motivations provided by students who used Driver Dave’s.

68

Table 14. Motivations provided by students who got a lift from someone.