ATTACHMENT #1
2001 Employee Travel Survey Results
As part of the Transportation Management Plan program, a travel behavior survey of all employees is required. Survey packets were sent to 115 businesses at 36 sites within Chapel Hill (Attachment #3 is a complete listing of the businesses). A total of 1,267 surveys were completed and returned, with an additional 1,118 results tabulated by Blue Cross Blue Shield. The results of the surveys are used to profile the commuters in Chapel Hill and to determine how to best serve their needs.
The tables compare survey results from the 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, and 2001 employee responses. The number of respondents may vary from table to table, as not all employees answered each question.
While a majority of the employees have a Chapel Hill zip code residence, a significant number of employees commute from elsewhere in the region. The percentage of employees has remained relatively constant for the four years prior to the 2001 survey.
Place of Residence
(for all employees)
|
Home Location (by zipcode) |
1994 Percent |
1995 Percent |
1996 Percent |
1999 Percent |
2001 Percent |
2001 Amount |
|
Chapel Hill* |
41.0 |
36.1 |
40.8 |
40.3 |
32.3 |
794 |
|
Carrboro |
24.0 |
9.8 |
20.2 |
19.7 |
3.2 |
80 |
|
Durham |
8.5 |
16.6 |
9.1 |
6.7 |
26.0 |
614 |
|
Wake County |
12.0 |
8.8 |
9.9 |
9.0 |
10.4 |
256 |
|
Other |
14.5 |
28.7 |
20.0 |
24.3 |
28.1 |
574 |
|
# of respondents |
111 |
410 |
549 |
1058 |
|
2318 |
*This question is unclear about which, home or business, location is requested, the number of actual employees with Chapel Hill residence may be misrepresented.
Commute distances have slowly changed over the last five survey years in spite of the continued increase in the number of surveyed employees. The longer commutes have been increasing in percentage while those commutes less than 10 miles have fallen.
Distance to Work
(for all employees)
|
Distance |
1994 |
1995 Percent |
1996 Percent |
1999 Percent |
2001 Percent |
2001 Amount |
|
Less than 5 miles |
15 |
24 |
29.5 |
27.0 |
17.8 |
425 |
|
5-10 miles |
38 |
34 |
25.8 |
25.1 |
20.3 |
483 |
|
10-20 miles |
22 |
23 |
23.7 |
26.7 |
23.7 |
565 |
|
More than 20 miles |
25 |
19 |
21.0 |
21.2 |
38.1 |
908 |
|
# of respondents |
133 |
226 |
553 |
1041 |
|
2381 |
The survey results also indicate that the majority of employees travel to work in a single occupant vehicle. This figure has not changed over the past five survey years being consistently over 90 percent.
Commute Modes
(for all employees)
|
Mode |
1994 Percent |
1995 Percent |
1996 Percent |
1999 Percent |
2001 Percent |
2001 Amount |
|
Car |
93.0 |
90.3 |
90.0 |
90.6 |
93.5 |
2178 |
|
Walk |
2.0 |
4.0 |
2.4 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
33 |
|
Carpool |
2.0 |
4.6 |
3.8 |
5.6 |
3.7 |
87 |
|
Transit |
2.0 |
0.8 |
2.5 |
1.9 |
0.7 |
16 |
|
Bicycle |
1.0 |
0.3 |
1.3 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
15 |
|
# of respondents |
133 |
372 |
551 |
1056 |
|
2329 |
There has been a shift in the number of responding employees arriving at work prior to 7:30 a.m. More than a quarter of the work force arrives before 7:30 a.m. and more than a quarter arrives after 8:30 a.m.
|
Time |
1994 Percent |
1995 Percent |
1996 Percent |
1999 Percent |
2001 Percent |
2001 Amount |
|
Before 7:30 AM |
6 |
3.2 |
20.9 |
28.6 |
33.9 |
788 |
|
7:30-8:30 AM |
61 |
81.5 |
53.3 |
53.6 |
44.8 |
1042 |
|
After 8:30 AM |
33 |
15.3 |
25.8 |
17.8 |
21.3 |
496 |
|
# of respondents |
126 |
380 |
507 |
1017 |
|
2326 |
Arrival Time at Work
(for all employees)
The following graph indicates the arrival and departure times for employees. There are two defined peak periods of arrivals and departures, although the morning peak period has spread to a two hour period of time with most employees arriving between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. The afternoon peak period is primarily between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The chart does not include Blue Cross Blue Shield employees as their information was tabulated by the company and does not distinguish exact arrival and departure time.
Other Issues:
Seventy-six percent of the respondents said they would not consider any alternatives at this time. However, 9 percent said they would consider riding in a vanpool and another 6 percent would use transit if the service was more convenient.
Employees were also asked a question about what transportation strategies, such as flex-time, using transit with a reduced fare, carpooling, would they be able to do on a continuing basis. Sixty-three percent would not be willing to participate in any options at this time, although 16 percent said they would consider working a compressed work week and 10 percent said they would consider using the transit system with a reduced/free fare.
Approximately 64 percent of the surveyed employees do not usually stop on the way to or from work, 22 percent usually stop, and 14 percent stop to pickup or drop off children.