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Household Travel Survey (.pdf)

Overview 

In the fall of 2002, the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) conducted a Regional Household Travel Behavior Survey for the Pikes Peak Transportation Planning Region. The survey gathered information from citizens about travel behavior and travel patterns of households and transit riders in the region. The information will be used to calibrate PPACG's regional travel demand model and develop transportation planning documents and policies to address the need for enhancing, expanding and developing new transportation facilities in the region.

Why This Is Important

The transportation planning process, involving elected officials, citizens and local entity technical staff, culminates in the preparation of plans and programs that guide the development of the transportation facilities and programs through the next 20 years. These plans and programs are required as the basis for the Region to receive federal and state transportation funds. The regional travel demand model provides an essential decision-making tool for the regional transportation planning process.

The regional travel demand forecasting model relies on survey data to provide numeric and geographic inputs and to calibrate the mathematical equations that represent decisions people make related to travel. These decisions are affected by such factors as household income, available modes (transit, auto, walk), family characteristics (number of workers, number of children, age), distance, and trip purpose (school, work, recreation). The model provides estimates of the number of trips that will be made in the future based on these characteristics as well as future land use and population and employment growth.

Planners use these model outputs to analyze alternative transportation system solutions for the major modes of transportation: roads, transit services, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, park and ride facilities, freight movement, and transportation system management (signals, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), ridesharing, travel demand reduction). The model also provides planners the basis for analyzing the environmental and social impacts of transportation projects. 

The Survey Included:

• A home-based origin-destination survey to record the travel patterns and activities by travel mode and trip purpose of household members. Travel modes will include auto, transit, walking and bicycle as well as others identified by participants.
• An on-board transit survey to gather data on Colorado Springs Transit's current ridership, including relevant demographics, travel patterns and other factors influencing their choice of mode.
• Sample sizes designed to assure statistical reliability. This will involve developing and field-testing a specific methodology and survey instruments, critical evaluation and assessment of estimates in measurement errors, specification of a reliable sample size and making changes to the final survey form before the final survey instrument is administered. 

Major Products Include:

• A location-specific electronic database to be used for geocoding trip origins and destinations, and analysis of the data collected;
• Survey results in electronic geographic information system (GIS) and/or database format; and
• Printed and electronic versions of the completed technical reports and final documents.

For more information, please contact Craig Casper, PPACG Transportation Director, at (719) 471-7080, ext. 101 or send email to ccasper@ppacg.org.

 

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