Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
Bicycling

National Survey: Driving Down in 2009, Sustainable Transport Up

nhts0109.jpgNHTS data from 2001 and 2009 shows a major increase in sustainable transportation. Image via Mobilizing the Region.

Between
2001 and 2009, the number of trips that Americans made in cars dropped
by more than four percent, with walking, bicycling and transit use
picking up the slack, according to new data from the U.S. Department of
Transportation.

Last year, 11.9 percent of all trips were on foot or by bike,
while 4.2 percent of trips were on transit. Both figures signify
significant increases.

The National Household Travel Survey, the source of the new stats, is the gold-standard for transportation data. As Mobilizing the Region reported,
while the Census only tracks how people get to work, the NHTS gathers
data on all trips taken. It also distinguishes between, say, driving to
a park-and-ride bus area and walking to the local bus stop.

The
downside to the NHTS is how infrequently the survey is conducted, which
makes it difficult to determine how much the 2009 data reflects a
larger trend, and how much may be due to temporary changes brought on
by fluctuating gas prices and the recession.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Metro L.A. River Path Project: Delays and Rising Costs

It will likely take leadership from L.A. City and L.A. County elected officials to get Metro's L.A. River path project out of the limbo it has been trapped in for the last half-decade

October 1, 2025

Last Chance for Input on La Puente’s Housing Element Update

Take the survey: building rule changes allow for faster home development, including on church grounds, commercially zoned land, and to replace lost affordable housing

September 30, 2025

SGV Connect 141: Foothill Transit’s New Route and the Legislative Session Comes to an End

A new Foothill Transit bus line does more than just serve the A Line stations, and a wrap of the last legislative session.

September 29, 2025
See all posts