Omnibus Household Survey Shows Americans' Average Commuting Time is Just Over 26 Minutes

BTS Omnibus Household Survey Information American Commuting Time

Contact BTS 20-03 Roger Lotz 202-366-2246

Monday, September 8, 2003 -- The average daily one-way commute to work in the United States takes just over 26 minutes, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' Omnibus Household Survey.

The average commuting time reported in the August Omnibus Household Survey has not varied significantly over the last three years. The survey found 94 percent of commuters spend 60 minutes or less on their commute.

Only 6 percent of commuters spend more than one hour commuting, but the longest reported commute in response to the August 2003 Omnibus Household Survey was three hours. The shortest commute reported was one minute.

American Commuting Time is a section of BTS' bimonthly Omnibus Household Survey. The purpose of the survey is to identify the general public's behavior patterns and attitudes regarding basic travel tendencies. Current as well as previous commuting time results are shown below:

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SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Omnibus Household Survey, Washington, DC. Respondents report on their behavior in the month prior to the survey.

In the following months, we will have Omnibus Household Survey information on the following topics:

• Airport Security
• American Flying Habits
• Commuter Delays
• Congestion Awareness
• E-Commerce Home Freight

Results are based on surveys of 1000+ households each, conducted in the months of August 2001, 2002 and 2003. The participants are asked about their travel and transportation issues during the prior month. Survey participants are selected using list-assisted random digit dialing (RDD) methodology.

To access the Omnibus Survey for additional questions about general travel experiences, satisfaction with the system, and some demographic data, please visit the following link: http://www.bts.gov/omnibus/