Washoe County Travel Characteristics Study, 2005

The Washoe County Travel Characteristics Study, 2005, is a comprehensive survey of the travel patterns of households in Washoe County, Nevada. The survey was conducted for the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) over a two-month period, from October through November 2005. The data are drawn from 1,174 households within the RTC planning area and contain information about 2,679 household members, 2,138 vehicles, and details regarding 11,077 unlinked trips. The survey relied on the willingness of regional households to (1) provide demographic information about the household, its members, and its vehicles, and (2) have all household members record all travel and activity for a specific 24-hour period. Respondents were asked to provide detailed household information, including number of occupants, type of dwelling unit, number of vehicles available to household occupants, as well as the year, make, model, and fuel type for each vehicle. In order to identify households eligible to participate in the voluntary GPS portion of data collecting, respondents were asked whether their vehicle(s) had a working cigarette lighter or power outlet. Following the initial recruitment phase, survey participants received mailed questionnaires to aid in documenting travel information during the 24-hour assessment period. Respondents were instructed to record their mode of transportation, trip purpose, departure and arrival times, number of passengers, and parking cost. Demographic information for this study includes age, sex, race, disability, income, and employment status.