Summary of Travel Trends: 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey

Hu, Patricia S.; Young, Jennifer R. · 1999 · ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration

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Summary

This report summarizes findings from the 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS), conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation to track changes in personal travel behavior. The study addresses the need for accurate data on travel patterns to support national transportation policies regarding safety, mobility, and economic growth. The NPTS serves as the nation’s inventory of daily personal travel, collecting data on trip purpose, mode, duration, and driver characteristics for the civilian, non-institutionalized population aged five and older. The 1995 survey included a sample of 42,033 households and 95,360 interviewed persons. To improve data accuracy and response rates, the 1995 methodology introduced written travel diaries and household trip rosters. Because these changes affected trip reporting compared to previous surveys, the 1990 data were statistically adjusted to allow for valid trend comparisons, specifically assuming that improved methods captured more discretionary trips. The analysis reveals significant increases in travel volume and vehicle ownership between 1969 and 1995. The number of household vehicles grew at an annual rate nearly one and a half times that of the total population, reaching a saturation point of one vehicle per licensed driver by 1990. Between 1990 and 1995, Americans increased their travel by 4.5 percent. On a household level, average annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) rose substantially, with a typical household traveling approximately 4,000 more miles in 1995 than in 1990. This increase was driven by a higher frequency of trips rather than longer distances for most purposes, although commuting and shopping trips did increase in length. Commuting became the longest average driving distance among all trip types in 1995, surpassing social and recreational trips. Regarding mode choice, private vehicle travel remained dominant, accounting for 86.4 percent of all person trips in 1995. However, the proportion of trips taken by public transportation decreased across all metropolitan statistical area (MSA) sizes since 1990, despite higher usage rates in large metropolitan areas compared to smaller ones. Travel trends varied by demographic subgroups; for instance, households with incomes between $10,000 and $50,000 experienced the highest growth in travel, while low-income and high-income households saw more moderate increases, likely due to budgetary constraints and travel saturation, respectively. The report also notes that vehicle availability and utilization patterns shifted, with average vehicle trip lengths stabilizing around 9 miles. These findings provide critical baseline data for understanding how demographic shifts and vehicle ownership saturation influence national travel trends.

Key finding

Americans increased their total travel by 4.5 percent between 1990 and 1995, with commuting becoming the longest average trip length and vehicle ownership reaching one vehicle per licensed driver.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 95360

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• exposure measurement

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence