Atlanta Regional Commission launches survey to uncover metro Atlanta transportation patterns

The Atlanta Regional Commission, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and the Georgia Department of Transportation, has launched a Household Travel Survey to provide insights into how metro Atlanta residents move 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 household members on a day assigned by the Federal Highway Administration. Participants will track the time of day, mode of transportation, purpose, and who they traveled with. Trips to be documented include those made by driving, walking, jogging, bicycling, and using transit. As an incentive, those who opt to participate in the survey will receive a gift card of $20 or more, depending on the household size.

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

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