INTRODUCTION    Purpose       Uses of NPTS

NPTS data are used to:

• Quantify travel behavior
• Understand travel purposes
• Relate travel behavior to the demographics of the traveler
• Look at the relationship of demographics and travel over time
• Look at travel by various modes

The NPTS data are used primarily for gaining a better understanding of the elements of travel behavior, such as:              

• Amount and characteristics of travel at the individual and household level
• Travel characteristics, such as trip chaining, use of the various modes, amount and purpose of travel by time of day and day of week, vehicle occupancy, and a host of other attributes
• The relationship between demographics and travel, e.g., the 1995 NPTS shows increases in personal mobility among women, older Americans, youth, and to some degree, low-income households
• The public's perceptions of the transportation system (e.g., perception of pavement quality or public transportation services)

People in various fields use the NPTS data to connect the role of transportation with other aspects of our lives. Medical researchers use the data to determine accident exposure rates of school-age children, particularly when they are traveling on their own by walking or biking. Social service agencies need to know more about how low-income households currently travel, which has taken on heightened importance with the employment initiatives for the unemployed portion of the welfare population.

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