# How America Travels Map



## Ashland Train Enthusiast (Jan 1, 2013)

Perusing the internets today, I came across this, and thought it was pretty cool and worth sharing. It does have some flaws in the sample size and metholodology (only counting same-day check-ins limits anyone who travels via rail overnight), but it's an interesting graphic to look at transit patterns in the macro sense.

~ DCTE


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jan 1, 2013)

I can't seem to understand this map. It seems too blurred and comfusing.


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## SarahZ (Jan 2, 2013)

Interesting. That explains why I don't see many train check-ins west of Chicago. It's too bad they don't allow for the overnight trips. I tend to check in at several stations between Chicago and Albuquerque so people on Facebook can see where we are (a lot of my family/friends think we're Super Cool for traveling by train), but I'd have to check in at KCY and then start the check-ins again the next day to get the map to update.

I don't usually check in while driving unless we stop somewhere interesting. McDonald's on I-80 is not interesting.  Also, how do they know if we were driving versus taking the train? We drive to Chicago 50% of the time, but there's no way for the map to know that since there aren't any "driving stations" to check in at.

It would be interesting to see the results if there were some way to track every flight, train trip, and car trip for every person in the U.S. That smacks of stalking, but it's interesting from a statistical perspective. Plus, I love human behavior. For example, we're planning a trip to Florida, and I've been comparing driving vs. train vs. flying. Since so many people from Michigan go to Florida in the winter, it would be interesting to see a map that shows how every person travels. I'd like to know the percentage of people who drive, take the train, and fly. (We're leaning toward driving since my boyfriend is terrified of flying and driving is much faster (and cheaper) than taking the train.)


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 2, 2013)

Sorcha said:


> For example, we're planning a trip to Florida, and I've been comparing driving vs. train vs. flying. Since so many people from Michigan go to Florida in the winter, it would be interesting to see a map that shows how every person travels. I'd like to know the percentage of people who drive, take the train, and fly. (We're leaning toward driving since my boyfriend is terrified of flying and driving is much faster (and cheaper) than taking the train.)


Have yall considered driving to Virginia and taking the Auto Train to Florida or riding it back from Florida? Even if you go Coach you get your Meals and have your Car when you get to Florida!("You can have youir Cake and eat it too!") And if youre lucky Penny might let yall stay Free in her Penthouse Condo in Orlando! :giggle:


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## Texan Eagle (Jan 2, 2013)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> I can't seem to understand this map. It seems too blurred and comfusing.


Swadian, this type of visualizations are not real "maps" as such, it is more of a graphical representation of trends.

In this case, Foursquare is a mobile application that let's people "check-in" at different places so that they can share with their friends where they are. This map takes information from people's "check-ins" and puts it on a map. For example, if one day morning I check-in on Foursquare at San Francisco Airport and then in the evening I check-in on Foursquare at New York JFK airport, it is a good indication that I flew from SFO to JFK, so this graphic shows that as a blue line from SFO to JFK. Repeat this for thousands of users doing such "check ins" and you get a maze of lines joining places that people are traveling to. More people traveling between two points, thicker (brighter) the lines. Now look at the map again. You will see lots of red lines in NE corridor and California corridor and lots of blue lines elsewhere, shows the trend that a lot of people are taking the train in NE while a lot more are flying elsewhere.

This covers only Foursquare users so isn't very accurate. I am very social media savvy but I hate Foursquare and never use it because I do not see the point of the app except telling all day long "I am here" "I am here" "I am here". And I am not alone. All of my friends (20-somethings) who are big users of Facebook, Twitter etc also aren't Foursquare users. Now if this included data from Facebook check-ins, it would be lot more accurate of more broader public behavior.


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## SarahZ (Jan 2, 2013)

jimhudson said:


> Sorcha said:
> 
> 
> > For example, we're planning a trip to Florida, and I've been comparing driving vs. train vs. flying. Since so many people from Michigan go to Florida in the winter, it would be interesting to see a map that shows how every person travels. I'd like to know the percentage of people who drive, take the train, and fly. (We're leaning toward driving since my boyfriend is terrified of flying and driving is much faster (and cheaper) than taking the train.)
> ...


I did consider that because I love the idea of not having to drive for part of the trip. The cost and time would be more than driving straight through, though, since we'd be going so far out of our way driving to VA.

The red X is Lorton, VA:







If we lived closer to the east coast, we'd definitely choose that option. Mostly, I wish Amtrak had a route from Chicago to Orlando that didn't involve zig-zagging over to Washington, DC.


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## Ryan (Jan 2, 2013)

Looking at Google Maps, that doesn't look too terrible. Says 9.5 hours to Lorton for you. Leave at 4 in the morning (make the man drive the first shift) and you can get on the train that afternoon. Arrive in Sanford at 9 the next morning, refreshed and ready to roll.

Contrast that with driving. GMaps says 18 hours, so you aren't going to do that in a day. Leave at the same 4 in the morning and drive until dinnertime (longer day on the road), then stop at a hotel for the night. You wake up the next morning not in Sanford, refreshed and ready to go, but somewhere in Tennessee (?) with another day of driving in front of you.

The awesome thing about the train is that it keeps moving while you're sleeping.

(as far as cost, the Auto Train is probably a little more, but you're driving half as many miles and not paying for a hotel room, so it may be somewhat reasonable)


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jan 2, 2013)

Texan Eagle said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > I can't seem to understand this map. It seems too blurred and comfusing.
> ...


You just made it even more confusing. If you're saying what I think you're saying then this map is useless. I think they should have used lines of vaying colours to denote different modes of transportation and different widths to denote popularity.

BTW, it's too bad that the Floridian got cancelled because I never got a chance to ride it. Personally I would take Greyhound with a hotel stop in ATD. I'm usually stuck going perpendicular to that, though.


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## Ryan (Jan 2, 2013)

They did, the blue lines are planes, the red ones are trains.


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## jis (Jan 2, 2013)

And white ones are car.

At least I find this map quite illuminating. With the blue lines you can almost see the hub and spoke strategy of all airlines displayed nicely.

The red lines clearly show the corridors where most of the rail travel takes place.


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## SarahZ (Jan 2, 2013)

Ryan said:


> Looking at Google Maps, that doesn't look too terrible. Says 9.5 hours to Lorton for you. Leave at 4 in the morning (make the man drive the first shift) and you can get on the train that afternoon. Arrive in Sanford at 9 the next morning, refreshed and ready to roll.
> 
> Contrast that with driving. GMaps says 18 hours, so you aren't going to do that in a day. Leave at the same 4 in the morning and drive until dinnertime (longer day on the road), then stop at a hotel for the night. You wake up the next morning not in Sanford, refreshed and ready to go, but somewhere in Tennessee (?) with another day of driving in front of you.
> 
> ...


We're considering driving straight through. I'd do the first nine hours while B sleeps, and then he'd pick up so I could rest. I have a cousin in Columbia, SC, so we'd probably stop there if we needed to rest.

On the other hand, I am extremely impatient and hate being confined in a car for much longer than a few hours, so the Auto Train idea definitely has its merits. Driving straight through is B's idea.  When he moved to MI, he drove the 24 hours from ABQ to KAL with just one stop for a 3-hour nap. 

I could survive a night in Coach if it involved free food (and it's not like it's a very long trip). Plus, I love the idea of being able to watch the scenery along the ocean stretches. I didn't realize how close Sanford is to Orlando, so you make a very good point about saving on gas/hotel (if we didn't stay with my cousin). Thanks, Ryan.  I'll definitely reconsider and talk to B about it.


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## Ryan (Jan 2, 2013)

That'd be a crazy though drive!!! My limit is about 13 hours, even with team driving.

Happy to help! (but sorry, no Auto Train scenery along the ocean)


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## Trogdor (Jan 2, 2013)

Ryan said:


> They did, the blue lines are planes, the red ones are trains.


Sooooo confusing.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jan 3, 2013)

Trogdor said:


> Ryan said:
> 
> 
> > They did, the blue lines are planes, the red ones are trains.
> ...


But you said all that stuff about "check-ins" and whatnot.


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## Texan Eagle (Jan 3, 2013)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> Trogdor said:
> 
> 
> > Ryan said:
> ...


Why is that so difficult to understand?

A person reports he is at airport A at one time. Few hours later he reports he is at airport B. This means he flew from A to B, so that's one set of data you got. Now rinse repeat this for several thousand passengers and you get nice collection of data showing where people are flying from and to. Similarly with trains. And driving. What's confusing here?


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## Ashland Train Enthusiast (Jan 3, 2013)

jis said:


> And white ones are car.
> 
> At least I find this map quite illuminating. With the blue lines you can almost see the hub and spoke strategy of all airlines displayed nicely.
> 
> The red lines clearly show the corridors where most of the rail travel takes place.


I think what's also interesting is the what appear to be one-off rail trips like in what I think is Minneapolis, as well as what I'd guess to be Memphis -> Jackson, and then in Atlanta and FL too. Given that I'd venture a guess to say that Foursquare users are generally younger and more technically savvy, we can also look at this to see what methods of transportation this segment of the population frequent.


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