What is travel demand?
Travel demand is the movement of people and goods. Factors that influence the movement of people include: number of households, household size, gender, age, income, licensed drivers, available vehicles, vehicle occupancies, length of trip, mode of travel, and time of travel. Demand varies by month of the year, day of the week, and hour of the day. The link between land use and transportation is fundamental to understanding travel demand: trip patterns, volumes and mode choice are largely a function of land use. Suburban growth and the decentralization of activities to suburban areas contribute to longer trips, additional local trips and less transit options. Over the long run, land use can greatly influence regional travel patterns. Avoiding future congestion, therefore, requires careful attention to zoning and land use plans, in coordination with the strategic provision and pricing of transportation services to influence where development occurs.
