Nonresponse in Household Travel Surveys

Abstract

Response rates for household travel surveys conducted within the United States have declined substantially over the past few decades. In recent years, household travel surveys conducted by a combination of telephone and mail have typically obtained rates in the range of 25 to 40%; some surveys have reported response rates as low as 5%. In response to the concern over the low response rates, nonresponse was one of the major topics addressed at the TRB conference on household travel surveys. This report is one example and the first in a series of initiatives focusing on nonresponse. The purpose of this report and other projects is to improve the quality of survey data gathered by MPOs and state DOTs, and to promote efficient utilization of data collection resources. To accomplish these goals, this report used a three-pronged approach: measuring and reporting nonresponse; reducing nonresponse; and, statistical methods for reducing the impact of nonresponse.