The region's first large-scale household travel survey in more than a decade will help guide future transportation planning as the area continues to grow, the Transportation Planning Board (TPB) announced at its monthly meeting in January.

Beginning this month, the TPB's Household Travel Survey will assess the travel behaviors of 10,000 randomly-selected area households to develop new forecasting models for use in future transit and highway planning. As the region faces a predicted 1.6 million more residents by 2030, the survey will also help local governments figure out which transportation improvement projects will benefit their growing communities most.

"The information we expect to gain from this survey will be invaluable in determining how to relieve future congestion on our roadways and transit systems," said TPB Chair Catherine Hudgins. "The individuals and families who agree to take part will be providing us with essential information that we simply can not obtain without their help."

The TPB has contracted with transportation research firm NuStats to survey between 800 and 900 households each month through January 2008. Participants will be asked to keep a record of all travel made by family members, from commuting to work and school to trips to ATM machines, for a period of 24 hours. Participants will also be asked about personal activities such as online shopping that replace errands residents would otherwise be making by car.

Interviews will be conducted in both English and Spanish. Households will be selected at random from the TPB's member jurisdictions and adjacent areas.

A report containing preliminary findings will be completed by June, 2008. For more information, click here.