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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 Region (GMR). 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 very robust small area data on work travel between origin and destination pairs within the GMR. For more information on JTW follow the link to JTW data available.

HTS provides a wealth of information about the travel of residents across the GMR for all purposes and by all modes. It is valuable for the breadth of information available about individual trips, as well as the personal and household characteristics of people travelling. As the HTS is conducted annually, it also provides very up-to-date estimates of travel.

It can tell us:

  • how much travel is being undertaken on an average day of the week
  • trips made in different locations
  • the mode and purpose of travel
  • the time of day of travel
  • the personal and household characteristics of those making the trip
  • the characteristics of those who did not make any trips

For more detail on the variables available, see the list of Household Travel Survey variables. For more information about the survey methodology, go to the Household Travel Survey page.

Household Travel Survey (HTS) data available

Household Travel Survey data is 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

For details about what reports are available and their prices, please 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 about $100 for a simple request up to a few thousand dollars for a large subset of data. Contact TDC Client Services for more details.

Full list of HTS variables

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

People and Households Public Transport Use Vehicles and Their Use

Household Characteristics

  • Dwelling type
  • Ownership of dwelling
  • Number of household vehicles
  • Number of bicycles (adult and child)
  • Family structure

Personal Characteristics

  • Age and Gender
  • Personal income
  • Employment status
  • Language spoken at home
  • Internet usage

Work Characteristics

  • Main occupation
  • Work schedule and hours
  • Flexibility of working hours
  • Industry of employment
  • Employer assistance with transport
  • Teleworking
  • Car pooling

Licence Holding/ Mobility

  • Type of licence held
  • Reasons for not holding a licence
  • Restrictions in use of different forms of transport

Public transport modes separately identified in the HTS:

Train, private bus, public bus, ferry, monorail, light rail, taxis and aircraft.

Origin, Destination and Purpose

  • Where do people travel to and from by public transport?
  • What are the major destinations?
  • For what purpose do people travel on public transport?
  • At what time of day do people travel?

Tickets and Fares

  • How much do people pay?
  • What type of fare do they use?
  • What type of ticket do they use?
  • Use of multi-modal tickets

Reasons for Using Public Transport

  • Why do people choose public transport rather than the car for travel to work?
  • Why do people use car instead of public transport for travel to work?

Trip Characteristics

  • The time of day car trips are made
  • Where they travel to and from.
  • Reason for making the trip
  • No. people in the vehicle

Tolls and Parking

  • Use of toll roads in Sydney
  • Do people park on or off the street?
  • Who pays for parking - the employer or driver?
  • Amount paid for parking?

Vehicle Characteristics

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

Non motorised Modes

How do the characteristics of people making walk and bicycle trips vary from other travellers?