Results of the 2014-2015 Campus Travel Survey

Thigpen, Calvin · 2015 · ROSA P / National Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST) (UTC)

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Summary

This report presents the findings of the 2014-2015 UC Davis Campus Travel Survey, the eighth administration of an annual study conducted by the Institute of Transportation Studies and Transportation & Parking Services. The survey aims to collect data on commuting behaviors, mode choice, vehicle occupancy, and carbon emissions to support the University of California’s sustainable transportation goals and inform Transportation Demand Management (TDM) policies. The study addresses the need for accurate, longitudinal data to evaluate the effectiveness of campus transportation services and assess trends in sustainable commuting. The methodology involved an online survey administered in October and November 2014 to a stratified random sample of 30,815 students, faculty, and staff, drawn from an estimated population of 42,405. The sampling strategy adjusted invitation rates by role group to account for historical response disparities, ensuring sufficient sample sizes for statistical reliability. Approximately 11.4 percent of the contacted population completed the survey. Responses were weighted by role and gender to reflect the actual campus demographic distribution. The survey instrument retained key questions from previous years to ensure comparability, focusing on primary mode of transport, residential location, vehicle occupancy, and awareness of transportation services. Key findings indicate that on an average weekday, 85.4 percent of the community physically travels to campus. Among those traveling, bicycling remains the dominant mode at 46 percent, followed by driving alone (24 percent), bus riding (17 percent), walking or skating (7 percent), carpooling (5 percent), and train riding (1 percent). Compared to the 2013-14 survey, the share of bicyclists decreased by 2.6 percentage points, while walking increased by 1.8 percentage points. The Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR) for non-student employees living off-campus was 1.61, while the overall campus AVR was 3.77 when including on-campus residents. Daily carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) emissions were estimated at 7.8 pounds per capita, a slight increase from 7.6 pounds in the previous year. The report also highlights that alternative modes, particularly bicycling, avoid significant emissions compared to a hypothetical scenario where everyone drives alone. Awareness and utilization of bicycle infrastructure, such as repair stations, were high, with over 50 percent of respondents using these services. The significance of these results lies in their utility for campus planning and policy evaluation. The data provide a baseline for assessing the impact of TDM programs and identifying areas for improvement, such as increasing housing options in Davis to reduce travel distances for those living outside the city. The slight decline in bicycling and rise in walking suggest shifting commuter behaviors that require targeted interventions. Furthermore, the consistent collection of AVR and CO2e metrics allows UC Davis to track progress toward system-wide sustainability targets. The report underscores the importance of continued data collection to refine transportation services, promote sustainable commuting, and mitigate environmental impacts associated with campus travel.

Key finding

On an average weekday in 2014-15, 45.6 percent of UC Davis commuters used bicycles as their primary mode of transportation, resulting in an overall Average Vehicle Ridership of 3.77 and daily per capita CO2e emissions of 7.8 pounds.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 4224

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence