National Household Travel Survey Pre- and Post-9/11 Data Documentation

The 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) was conducted from March 2001 through May 2002. Because the data collection time period includes 9/11/2001, there has been considerable interest in using this data set to assess the effect of the events of 9/11 on travel behavior, especially for long-distance trips. This document discusses long distance trip data set files only. However, the 2001 NHTS was not designed to assess the effects of 9/11 on long-distance travel and several factors preclude the direct comparison of pre-and post-9/11 travel data. Travel is influenced by seasonality, economic conditions, and other factors. Therefore, the differences in travel volume and patterns in the pre- and post-9/11 data sets cannot be attributed solely to the impact of the terrorist attacks. The pre-9/11 period of 2001 NHTS covers March 2001 to September 2001, a period of over 5 1/2 months, and includes the summer season in which a large proportion of long distance trips are taken. There were approximately 22,000 persons responding about travel prior to 9/11. On the other hand, the post-9/11 period of the survey covers September 2001 to May 2002, a period of roughly 8 months, and includes Thanksgiving and Christmas and other winter holiday travel - a traditionally heavy season for long distance trips. This survey had responses from approximately 38,000 persons on their long-distance trips after 9/11.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.bts.gov/programs/national_household_travel_survey/pre_and_post_9_11_data_documentation/pdf/entire.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices;
• Pagination: 19p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data dictionaries; Datasets; Demographics; Geography; Sets; Statistical analysis; Time; Travel behavior; Travel patterns; Travel surveys
• Identifier Terms: National Household Travel Survey; Terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
• Uncontrolled Terms: Data documentation; Long distance travel
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01342701
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 23 2011 9:07AM