Surveys

The SANDAG Commute Behavior Survey collects data on commute preferences and interest in using alternatives to driving alone. The survey also evaluates the impact of shared mobility services, park & rides, and technology on commute travel choices. The 2018 survey was conducted in partnership with the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and collected responses from over 4,000 employees from San Diego and Western Riverside counties.

2018 Commute Behavior Survey

2013 Commute Behavior Survey 

SANDAG conducts the Onboard Transit Passenger Survey every five years to better understand how people use transit to travel throughout the San Diego region as patterns continue to change. The information collected is used to make improvements to transit infrastructure and service. The latest survey was conducted in 2023. Working together with our agency partners, Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD), etc. administered this survey on bus, trolley, and train routes to identify areas of improvement, implement solutions, and meet Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Title VI requirements.

SANDAG conducted waves 1 and 2 of the San Diego County Transportation Study to better understand the transportation needs of San Diego region residents. The information collected is vital for planning and prioritizing future transportation improvements as the population changes, new travel choices emerge, and travel patterns evolve. Resource Systems Group, Inc. (RSG), an independent research firm, administered the survey on behalf of SANDAG. Residents were asked to participate by either using an app called rMove™ on a smartphone, online, or via a call center.

SANDAG initiated a study to develop a parking inventory and collect parking choice data that will provide the basis for updated models and analysis that will more accurately represent parking choices now and in the future and can be used to measure the impact of parking policies. The behavioral survey asked respondents about their actual parking choices and presented them with a stated choice exercise where they were invited to provide feedback on hypothetical parking scenarios. This study focused on parking across the range of SANDAG’s mobility hub types, which include urban core, major employment center, gateway (entry point to the regional transportation network), and coastal. Read the 2022 Regional Parking Inventory and Behavioral Survey Study report. 

SANDAG partnered with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to conduct a large-scale multi-jurisdictional survey of ride-hailing users, non-users, and drivers in select communities of the San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties, and San Francisco Bay area regions. Data collected from these surveys were incorporated into our respective transportation models, improving each agency's understanding of the impact of ride-hailing services on travel behavior and the transportation system, and informing our transportation system investments. Results were released in 2020. SANDAG will pursue additional opportunities for research partnerships using this dataset.

The arrival of COVID-19 in California triggered a statewide shelter-in-place mandate in March 2020, effectively shuttering many sectors of the world’s fifth largest economy for several months and sending ripple effects through most aspects of daily life. In addition to the direct economic impacts, including job losses, salary cuts, and reduced spending, the threat of COVID-19 and the closure of non-essential businesses dramatically altered how and where people work, play, shop, and travel. Although the State began a phased reopening of the economy within several months to operate safely during the pandemic many businesses were compelled to shift to a remote work model, with employees working from home, rather than commuting to a central work site.

Infobits: 2023 Remote Work Survey

2023 Remote Work Survey

The 2022 San Diego Regional Establishment and Commercial Vehicle Survey was conducted to better understand the rapid changing travel behavior of the commercial vehicle landscape, especially the last mile delivery types. The survey will help inform improvements in mobility, accessibility, and connectivity for the region as the population changes, new technologies emerge, and shopping patterns evolve. ETC Institute, an independent research firm, is administering the survey on behalf of SANDAG. Participants will be asked to participate by using a cell phone-based app, online, or via a call center. Read the 2022 Commercial Vehicle Survey report and appendix.