Detection of Activities of Public Transport Users by Analyzing Smart Card Data

During the past decade, a significant amount of research has been dedicated to the use of smart card data for various purposes. A method is presented for the detection and estimation of the location, time, duration, and purpose of activities undertaken by public transit users with the use of smart card databases and other available information about land use and user behavior. The method is applied to cases in Santiago, Chile, and Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, to identify activity purpose and time frame to characterize user behavior. The results obtained for each city are compared to discover differences in behavioral activity patterns due to sociological, cultural, and geopolitical differences.