title: The "path" not taken: exploring structural differences in mapped- versus shortest-network-path school travel routes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  School route measurement often involves estimating the shortest network path. We challenged the relatively uncritical adoption of this method in school travel research and tested the route discordance hypothesis that several types of difference exist between shortest network paths and reported school routes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We constructed the mapped and shortest path through network routes for a sample of 759 children aged 9 to 13 years in grades 5 and 6 (boys = 45%, girls = 54%, unreported gender = 1%), in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We used Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to compare reported with shortest-path route measures including distance, route directness, intersection crossings, and route overlap. Measurement difference was explored by mode and location.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found statistical evidence of route discordance for walkers and children who were driven and detected it more often for inner suburban cases. Evidence of route discordance varied by mode and school location.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found statistically significant differences for route structure and built environment variables measured along reported and geographic information systems-based shortest-path school routes. Uncertainty produced by the shortest-path approach challenges its conceptual and empirical validity in school travel research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. ron.buliung@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Ron N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Buliung
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Guy E J
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Faulkner
authors.forename: Michelle R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Stone
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014186:Transportation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014195:Travel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*