California Household Travel Survey

Overview

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) conducts the California Household Travel Survey (CHTS) every ten years to obtain detailed information about the socioeconomic characteristics and travel behavior of households statewide.

Regional travel models, the Statewide Travel Demand Model, and the Statewide Integrated Inter-regional Transportation Model use this information as a base to forecast future travel behavior.  Below is the information about the last CHTS conducted by Caltrans which started in 2010 and ended in 2013.

Purpose

The purpose of the CHTS was to update the statewide database of household travel behavior which is used to estimate, model and forecast travel throughout the State. The 2010 CHTS was conducted to provide regional trip activities and inter-regional long-distance trips that is being used for the statewide model and regional travel models. The CHTS data is being used to develop and calibrate regional travel demand models to forecast the 2015, 2020, 2035 and 2040 Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) and enable Senate Bill 375 and Senate Bill 391 implementation.

Survey Product

The full survey started in January 2012 and ended on January 31, 2013. A total of 42,431 California households completed the survey and submitted their travel information. Survey data was analyzed and validated.