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ARC Launches Regional Household Travel Survey to Shed Light on Transportation Patterns in Metro Atlanta

Survey is first since 2011 and first since the COVID-19 pandemic

Atlanta — Jan 30, 2025

The Atlanta Regional Commission, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and the Georgia Department of Transportation, has launched a Household Travel Survey that will provide insights into how metro Atlanta residents are moving about the region.

It’s the first such survey of metro Atlanta residents since 2011 and one of the nation’s first to be administered after the COVID-19 pandemic. The first phase of the survey will be conducted through December 2025 and include 3,000 households in the 19-county Atlanta region. A second phase is planned for 2026 that will add 6,500 households, providing a statistically significant sample size.

Households are sampled using a scientific process, and those selected to participate in the survey will receive details in the mail. As an incentive, those who opt to take part in the survey will receive a gift card of $20 or more, depending on size of household.

“The regional Household Travel Survey is one of the most important tools we have to understand how people in metro Atlanta travel,” said John Orr, Senior Managing Director of Transportation Planning at ARC. “The findings will shed light on how travel patterns have changed since the pandemic, which caused a sharp rise in teleworking. This survey will inform regional transportation planning efforts for years to come.”

Survey takers will be asked to document travel for members of their household on a day assigned by the Federal Highway Administration. Participants will track the time of day, mode of transportation, purpose, and who they were traveling with. Trips to be documented include those made by driving, walking, or jogging, bicycling, and transit use. As an incentive, those who opt to take part in the survey will receive a gift card of $20 or more, depending on size of household.

ARC plans to conduct a second survey in 2025-2026 that will sample an additional 9,000 households, to provide an even richer set of data to inform future planning efforts.

For more information on the National Household Travel Survey, visit https://nhts2024.com.

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The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 11-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 75 other cities.  The Atlanta Regional Commission’s mission is to foster thriving communities for all within the Atlanta region through collaborative, data-informed planning and investments.

Contact Name: Paul Donsky
Contact Phone: 470-626-3869
Contact Email: pdonsky@atlantaregional.org

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33°n
CDAP
Community Planning Academy
ConnectA
Empowerline
Georgia Commute Options
Green Communities
LCI
LINK
MARC
Metro Atlanta Speaks
MNG Water Planning District
RLI
State of the Region
UASI
WorkSource GA