Suggested Citation:
Salon, Deborah and Susan L. Handy (2014)

Estimating Total Miles Walked and Biked by Census Tract in California

. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-14-07

Abstract:

Vehicle activity is an output of travel models, but detailed estimates of bicycle and pedestrian activity are often not available. Good estimates of the total amount of cyclist and pedestrian activity on our roads are needed for two main purposes. First, knowing how much cyclists and pedestrians are using roadways can inform where investments in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure are needed. Second, estimates of total cyclist and pedestrian activity can serve as the denominator for calculation of cyclist and pedestrian accident rates, which, in turn, help to identify locations for road safety investment.

This report presents a new method to estimate cyclist and pedestrian activity at the census tract level of geography based on a combination of travel survey, census, and land use data. Two sets of activity estimates are calculated based on two different travel surveys that were recently conducted in California: the 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) and the 2010-2012 California Household Travel Survey (CHTS). The final activity estimates by census tract will soon be made publicly available on the UC Davis Urban Land Use and Transportation Center (ULTRANS) website.