Abstract
For the 1990 census data to be useful for transportation planners, it must reflect information collected in transportation surveys, such as home interviews and on board transit surveys. These surveys select a survey day that captures a snapshot of transportation activity for that day. Inherent in the 1990 census are problems related to biases created by the way in which the journey-to-work questions are asked. Issues related to questions that ask for “typical” or “usual” activity in the previous workweek tend to overestimate certain trip making, while underestimating others. For example, on a usual workday, an individual would drive an automobile to work. But on any given day, he or she may be forced to take public transportation because the automobile was in for repairs. The analysis looks at the 1990 census and the 1990 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey and develops factors by urban area size. Factors developed include absenteeism (related to sick time, vacation, personal business, part-time employment, and business-related travel), mode of travel (shifts between highway and transit modes), multiple jobs (for individuals who hold multiple jobs or make multiple trips to the same place of work from home), and trip chaining (distinguish between direct home-to-work trips, as defined in travel model home-based work, and trips that make intermediate stops).
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