Travel Study Data Improves Travel Models
The Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon’s eight Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are conducting a statewide travel study to better understand when, where, how, and why people travel in Oregon.
As technologies evolve and travel behaviors change, transportation planners need current travel data to inform future transportation investments and prioritization. This study will help us plan for a more safe, fair, and sustainable future transportation system. It is especially important to gather this information now at a time when patterns are changing and adapting to new conditions post pandemic in the face of inflation and housing shortages.
A pilot study was completed in April 2023 to ensure the study approach worked as planned. In addition to collecting about 15% of the total data needed from randomly selected households, the pilot study was an important step in ensuring the results will produce the information needed within reasonable cost before inviting additional households for the main study.
Between September 2023 and June 2024, about half of Oregon’s 1.6 million households received invitations by mail to participate in the main study.
Oregon's study is providing critical data for transportation policy decisions and investments that benefit Oregonians. “Many of the decisions we make rely on data from this study,” says Becky Knudson, ODOT senior transportation economist. “The more Oregon transportation agencies understand how and why people use their local systems, the better we can make informed investment decisions to meet their needs.”
Households were randomly selected using U.S. Postal Service data and receive invitations in the mail. Selected households participated in the survey via a smartphone app, online, or over the phone. Travel information was collected from approximately 21,000 households, which will allow analysts to draw accurate insights from the data across the entire state.
Transportation planners and policymakers will use the collected data to create a safer, more sustainable transportation system for all users throughout the state.
Equity in data collection
Ensuring collected data represents all people in Oregon, and all the different ways they travel, is a top priority. Here’s how the study partners cast a wide net:
• There were three ways to report travel: smartphone app, via a website, or over the phone.
• The survey was available in multiple languages across the smartphone app, website and phone line, including English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, and simplified and traditional Chinese.
• Study researchers also partnered with community-based organizations to reach disadvantaged communities in ways that work best for those communities.
• Some communities and mode users were “oversampled,” meaning more invitations were sent to those folks to ensure we achieved the needed response rate.
Next Steps for the Oregon Travel Study
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Data collected is currently being processed and a summary report is anticipated in mid-2025.
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Learn more at oregontravelstudy.com, which includes frequently asked questions about how Oregon's survey process works and who to contact for more information.
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Partnering With the National Household Travel Survey
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In addition to Oregon's travel study, the Federal Highway Administration, in partnership with ODOT, has launched the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). Similar to Oregon's survey, the NHTS is intended to build a snapshot of how, when, and why people from across the country travel in their daily lives. Whether you travel by car, public transit, bicycle, or on foot, or do not travel at all, the national survey results help decision-makers determine the best approaches to mitigate congestion, improve safety, and increase the availability of transportation across the country.
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The national survey will be conducted from November 2024 to November 2025. Households across the country will be sampled using a scientific process and those selected to participate will receive details in the mail. For more information on the NHTS, please visit www.NHTS2024.com.