This study was made possible through a grant from the United States National Science Foundation (NSF). Along these lines, we are specifically interested in the potential of e-bikes to provide environmental benefits in the context of the United States.
The trip data collection app that we have created for this study was first developed for a iPhone but we recently developed an android app for other smartphones.
Our data collection dongle is only able to be attached to ports on these two devices. The dongle facilitates communication between the e-bike and the data collection iPhone app.
Many bicycle trip tracking apps are proprietary data ecosystems that do not allow seamless trip data sharing with the research team. In addition, our app is passive, which means that users do not have to press "record" every time that they take an e-bike trip, nor do they have to take any additional steps to share their data files with the research team. This makes participating in the study easier and the data more reliable. Simply plug in a dongle, download our app, and ride like normal!
This study consists of three parts:
Part I: You will be asked to complete a survey about your current e-bike use.
Part II: You will be asked to participate in a data collection period during which you will passively share your e-bike trip information with us using a plug-in dongle and an iPhone app. (At the beginning of the Part I survey, we will ask for your mailing address so that we can send you the dongle and app installation instructions that will allow you to begin sharing your e-bike trips with us.)
Part III: A second survey will be sent to you at a later date, after Part II begins. This survey will ask some general questions about some of your e-bike trips that you've shared with us in Part II.
We ask that you share your trips with us for a period of 3-12 months using our dongle and app.
INFORMED CONSENT STATEMENT
Research Title: Mobility by E-bike (ME-Bike)
You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in this research. This research will compare the travel behavior of electric bicycle (e-bike) users (like travel speeds, bicycle routes, stopping behavior at intersections and so on) with the travel behaviors of other modes and how the shift to e-bikes impact the environment and affect sustainability. Additionally, the information you provide will be used to create and improve tools, like this mobile phone application, to assess bicyclist behavior and contribute to projects related to safety and sustainability.
This study has two components that will collect data used in research, a survey component and an e-bike tracking component through a smartphone application. For the two surveys, one will be at the beginning of the study and one near the end. As part of the first survey, you will be asked demographic questions about your gender, race, age, and income. You will also be asked about your current cycling behavior and perceptions. Responding to these questions is optional, and your responses will remain anonymous outside of the research team. Personally identifiable information such as your address and name will be immediately separated from your survey responses and e-bike trip data before the research team begins its analysis.
For the mobile phone application, the GPS information collected will be used for research. When you install the application, you will be asked to enter a unique identifier to link your survey data with the smartphone data. After, the application does not require you to enter any more information. The application also This application is completely passive which means it will monitor movement only while you use the e-bike. The application will collect GPS data for all of your e-bike trips. This application will also collect information about the characteristics of the routes you choose, speed limit information, traffic volume, and types of bicycle facilities. The application will give you the option to label specific trip purposes through its user interface. This application will collect this information for at least 3 months up to 12 months.
If you use this application, you are responsible for any additional data charges from your phone carrier.
Participation is voluntary. You can choose not to participate or discontinue your participation at any time by un-installing this application.
If you have questions about the research (or you experience any problems related to the research) please contact the lead investigator, Chris Cherry (cherry@utk.edu, 865-974-7710). If you have questions about your rights as a participant, you may contact the University of Tennessee IRB Compliance Officer at utkirb@utk.edu or (865) 974-7697.
Data security and risk:
There is a risk of loss of confidentiality. We intend to mitigate that risk in the following ways.
a. This research will require storing and archiving data in a secure, locked, encrypted server; accessible only to the PI’s, supervised students and research staff. The GPS will be intrinsically personal (e.g., residential location). The PI’s have collected passive GPS data for travel behavior tracking on past projects and are familiar with Human Subjects processes for GPS and travel survey data management. In studies where we display or share GPS data, we “scrub” the origins and destinations of the affiliated maps by removing data by time and space to assure origins and destinations are not precisely identifiable, but the integrity of the data remains.
b. The raw data will result in the generation of a behavior dataset, which will include trip-specific data (trip length, purpose, and frequency), demographics, and survey-related data. All disaggregate data that contains no personal information (e.g., trip length or mode shift) can be shared.
Policies for Reuse and Redistribution
No reference will be made in oral or written reports which could link you to this research study. Information collected for the purposes of this study will be used for future research purposes and may be shared with other researchers.
Your use of this application and affirmation of consent on the first survey indicates your consent to participate in this research study.