Survey says: Our travel patterns have changed – Implications for the future

The following article appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of Semscope, SEMCOG’s quarterly magazine.

Twenty years ago, the SEMCOG region was a much different place. Historically, a typical Southeast Michigan resident’s weekday travel was very predictable – drive to work in the morning and return in the evening at the same time each day. Like clockwork. Weekday travel predominantly focused on work. Errands and other activities were reserved for the weekend.

To plan for the future, SEMCOG and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) conducted a Travel Survey in 2015, collecting data from residents about their weekday travel. Information was gathered from nearly 12,400 households and 28,800 people across Southeast Michigan. SEMCOG has conducted similar travel surveys every 10 years, allowing the opportunity to see trends and changes in travel patterns.

Today, traffic patterns in the SEMCOG region are much different – residents are still traveling to and from work, but where else are they going? The 2015 survey told us that four out of every five trips people make every day are for reasons other than going to work. This is a significant finding and says a lot about our lives today.

In addition to work, think about all of the places you go throughout the day. Did you drop a child off at school? Did you stop at the gym to work out? Maybe you met a friend for coffee or went to the grocery store before going home. Once you got home, did you take a walk or ride your bike to the park? Along with an increasing number of people within the region, maybe you shared a ride, rode a bus, or worked from home, eliminating the commute to work completely.

Not only have the reasons we travel changed, but the ways in which we get places have also changed. Although driving is still the primary mode of travel, there is an increasing number of people walking, biking, and using transit within the region.

The results from the Travel Survey serve as an important planning tool and provide a snapshot of the travel patterns in Southeast Michigan. Here’s what we learned:

• People are traveling at all times of the day. “Rush hours” have changed and the historical “evening peak” in travel is now spread out over several hours. Roadways are now used throughout the day, not just mornings and evenings. Considering the fact that six percent of residents now work from home, there is increased flexibility allowing for a more varied travel schedule.
• In addition to driving, there are other ways we get places. Walking, biking, transit, and sharing a ride are increasing as modes of transportation. These different modes make up nearly 40 percent of all travel, compared to less than 10 percent in 1994.
• More than 20 percent of people ages 16-24 do not have a driver’s licenses. This suggests that younger people are waiting to obtain driver’s licenses or are choosing not to drive, using other options such as rideshare, biking, or transit to get places.
• Travel times remain consistent. On an average weekday, people spend about an hour and 10 minutes traveling in Southeast Michigan. Over 50 minutes of that time is spent commuting to work and back, which has stayed fairly consistent in the past 20 years.
• People are traveling more often. The average number of daily household trips has increased by two trips per day since 1994.

The survey results help us better understand why and when people travel and provide input to SEMCOG’s 2045 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The RTP anticipates Southeast Michigan’s travel needs and identifies priority areas to invest limited transportation funds. Knowing the travel habits in the region helps SEMCOG ensure regional transportation plans address current and future travel needs of all of the region’s residents. A similar survey of commercial and freight movement is now underway to help us understand future needs.

About the 2045 RTP

SEMCOG’s 2045 Regional Transportation Plan represents the region’s long-range transportation vision for a safe, reliable, and accessible system for the residents of Southeast Michigan and beyond. The plan will include policies, initiatives, and projects that will be funded and implemented while supporting the vision and goals of the region from now until 2045. It is scheduled for adoption in March 2019. There will be numerous opportunities for public input between now and then.