Summary of Travel Trends: 2001 National Household Travel Survey

Hu, Patricia S.; Reuscher, Timothy · 2004 · ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration

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Summary

This report summarizes findings from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide a comprehensive inventory of personal travel behavior. The study aims to support transportation policy formulation, infrastructure planning, and the assessment of system efficiency, safety, and environmental impacts. The 2001 NHTS represents a significant methodological evolution, integrating the Federal Highway Administration’s Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS) with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ American Travel Survey. Data were collected from a national sample of 69,817 households between March 2001 and July 2002, utilizing random-digit dialing to capture demographic characteristics, vehicle availability, and detailed travel logs for both daily trips and long-distance journeys. The survey introduced two key methodological improvements: it was the first in the series to record travel for children under five years old and employed enhanced prompting to capture walking and biking trips, which had been underreported in previous iterations. To ensure longitudinal comparability, the report adjusts 1990 data to align with 1995 and 2001 methodologies, noting that 1995 work-trip data may have been overstated. The analysis covers trends from 1969 through 2001, examining household and person-level travel metrics, vehicle utilization, commute patterns, and sub-population behaviors. Key findings indicate that while the total number of person trips decreased slightly from 1995 to 2001, the average trip length increased, resulting in higher total person-miles of travel. Vehicle ownership continued to rise, with the percentage of households owning three or more vehicles increasing from 19% in 1995 to 23% in 2001. Commuting trips, which historically had shorter average distances than social or recreational trips, became the longest category by 2001. The data also reveal that Americans spent more time in vehicles in 2001 compared to 1995, despite taking fewer trips. Demographic trends show a steady increase in the number of licensed drivers and workers per household, alongside a decline in household size. The significance of this report lies in its provision of a robust, longitudinal dataset that corrects for previous underreporting of non-motorized travel and young children’s mobility. By highlighting the shift toward fewer but longer trips and increased vehicle ownership, the findings offer critical insights for policymakers addressing congestion, energy use, and infrastructure demand. The adjusted historical comparisons allow for more accurate trend analysis, supporting evidence-based decisions on transportation investments and alternative mobility technologies.

Key finding

Americans took fewer but longer trips in 2001 compared to 1995, leading to an increase in total person miles of travel despite a decline in the total number of person trips.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 69817

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• exposure measurement

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence