2002 National Survey of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Attitudes and Behaviors

Survey Overview

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) have collected information from persons in United States households that will provide national level data on biking and walking.

NHTSA and BTS will provide quality data from the survey that will support informed planning and decision making. These data will be especially useful for safety officials, transportation planners, advocates, traffic engineers, and researchers.

Survey Methodology

NHTSA and BTS contracted with The Gallup Organization to collect information from 9,600 respondents during the summer of 2002. The data were collected from respondents 16 years or older using a random-digit dial (RDD) sample and computer-assisted telephone interviewing methods.

The survey asked questions, for both bicyclists and pedestrians, on the following topics:

• Frequency of biking and walking
• Trip information including : Origin, destination, length of trip time, trip distance, land use, trip purpose, facility use, and topography
• Reasons for not biking or walking
• Perceptions of safety
• Safety practices
• Facility availability
• Community design
• Satisfaction with community design
• Safe routes to school
• Sociodemographics

Survey Results

NHTSA and BTS will publish a series of reports based on the survey data. First, a brief summary report, which will cover the major findings from the survey, will be released in early 2003. Future releases will include a three volume report:

• An expanded summary of key findings
• A detailed description of all findings and major analyses from the data
• The survey methodology

The data, questionnaire, and survey documentation will also be made available for public use.

Contacts

If you would like copies of the published reports or more information about the survey, please contact:

Marvin Levy
202 366-5597
mlevy@nhtsa.dot.gov

Neil Russell
202 493-2147
neil.russell@bts.gov