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Personal Travel Data

The Transport Data Centre (TDC) holds information on the personal travel patterns of the residents of the Greater Metropolitan Area (GMA). The main sources of this information are:

  • Travel to work from the Journey to Work data (JTW)
  • Travel for all purposes from the Household Travel Survey (HTS)

JTW provides data on work travel derived from the employment questions asked in the Census of Population and Housing by the Australian Bureau of Statistics every five years. Being based on a survey of the whole population, JTW provides robust small area data on work travel between origin and destination pairs within the GMA. For more information, see JTW data.

HTS provides information about the travel of residents across the GMA:

  • Trips made in different locations
  • Mode and purpose of travel
  • Time of day of travel
  • Personal and household characteristics of those making the trip
  • Characteristics of those who did not make any trips

For details see the Household Travel Survey variables. For information about the survey methodology, go to the Household Travel Survey page.

Household Travel Survey (HTS) data available

Household Travel Survey data are available in the form of:

1. Summary publications

The following publications present metropolitan wide analysis of travel patterns:

  • Summary Reports
  • Issues Papers focussing on travel by specific modes
  • Brochures

To access electronic reports, see the list of publications.

2. Customised data requests

Where clients require information for a specific geographic area, a defined transport mode or corridor, particular population groups, TDC can carry out a customised data request.

Charges are based on the amount of data and the time involved in undertaking a tailored request. Prices start at $100 for a simple request up to a few thousand dollars for a large subset of data. Contact TDC Client Services for details.

HTS variables

The key variables from the Household Travel Survey are listed below:

People and Households

Household Characteristics

  • Dwelling type
  • Ownership status of dwelling
  • Number of household vehicles
  • Number of bicycles (adult & child)
  • Structure of household
  • Language spoken at home

Personal Characteristics

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Personal income
  • Employment status
  • Country of birth

Work Characteristics

  • Main occupation
  • Work schedule
  • Working hours & their flexibility
  • Industry of employment
  • Employer assistance with transport
  • Teleworking and car pooling

Licence Holding and Mobility

  • Types of driver's licences
  • Reason for no driver's licence
  • Physical disabilities preventing or restricting use of transport
Public Transport Use

Mode

  • Train
  • Bus (private, public, school)
  • Ferry (private, public)
  • Other modes: monorail, light rail, taxi and aircraft

Trip Characteristics

  • Trip origin
  • Trip destination
  • Purpose of trip
  • Time of day of trip

Tickets and Fares

  • Amount paid
  • Fare type
  • Ticket type
  • Multi-modal tickets

Reasons for Using Public Transport

  • Use of public transport rather than car for travel to work
  • Use of car rather than public transport for travel to work
Vehicles and Their Use

Trip Characteristics

  • Trip origin
  • Trip destination
  • Time of day of trip
  • Purpose of trip
  • Number of vehicle occupants

Tolls and Parking

  • Toll roads used
  • Cost of parking and who pays
  • Type of parking used

Vehicle Characteristics

  • Vehicle make and model
  • Vehicle age
  • Engine characteristics
  • Type of registration
  • Type of fuel used

Mon-motorised Modes and Their Use
  • Walking
  • Trip origin
  • Time of day of trip
  • Number of working bicycles (adult/child) in household
  • Trip destination
  • Purpose of trip