Introduction and Background

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) conducts the Omnibus Household Survey (OHS) to monitor public expectations of and satisfaction with the transportation system and to gather event, issue, and mode-specific information. OHS, which is conducted annually, serves as an information source for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) modal administrators to support congressional requests and to gauge internal DOT performance. Overall, OHS supports the collection of information on a wide range of transportation-related topics.

Each round of OHS contains a set of core questions that are based on critical information needs within DOT. In addition, supplemental questions are included in each round to correspond to DOT's five strategic goals: safety; reduced congestion; global connectivity; environmental stewardship; and security, preparedness, and response. Finally, specific questions posed by the various DOT modes are included in each survey.

This report presents the results of the October 2009 OHS. The October 2009 OHS has two components: one national sample and one sample of nine targeted metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). The national sample survey was conducted from October 1, 2009, through November 6, 2009. The sample survey of targeted MSAs was conducted from October 1, 2009, through November 7, 2009. Data for both samples were collected from households in the United States using a random-digit-dialed telephone methodology. The final data include 1,082 cases in the national sample and 504 cases in the original sample of targeted MSAs. The final dataset for the survey of targeted MSAs has 720 cases, which include not only the 504 cases in the original sample of targeted MSAs but also 216 cases from the nine targeted MSAs in the national sample. The total number of variables in the public-use dataset is 129 for the national survey and 130 for the survey of targeted MSAs. Strategic Research Group collected the data under a subcontract with MacroSys, LLC.

The primary goal of this report is to document the background information, sampling procedures, data collection, data elements and survey variables, response rates, final weights, and standard error estimation for the October 2009 OHS.

This report contains the following information:

• A detailed description of how sample respondents were selected for the survey;
• Information on the data collection, the number of completed interviews, and response rates;
• Information on interviewer training, pre-testing, interviewing methods, household screening methods, and methods for call attempts and callbacks;
• Information on the number of cases in the file;
• Guidance on the use of weights for analyses;
• Instructions for calculating standard error estimates;
• The final survey questionnaire;
• A data dictionary that provides the names of survey variables, their codes, labels, and the associated response categories; and
• Frequency tables for both the national survey and the survey of targeted MSAs.