Travel Survey 2023
Travel Survey is a survey conducted by Helsinki region municipalities and Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) to study Helsinki region residents’ travel habits. The survey examines, for example, how many daily journeys local residents make on average, where the journeys come from and go to and which modes of transport people use.
The Travel Survey is not a public transport survey; the aim is to collect information about all modes of transport.
The results provide essential information for the preparation of the Helsinki Region Transport System Plan, as well as for the management and development of traffic forecast models at HSL.
HSL is responsible for the Helsinki Region Transport System Plan as part of a wider land use, housing and transport plan MAL. In addition, the results are used by other organizations and agencies working on mobility solutions in the region.
Travel Surveys have been conducted on a regular basis since 1966, nowadays about every five years. The previous Travel Survey was conducted in 2018. The report “Travel habits in the Helsinki region 2018” (HSL Publications 9/2019) is available here (in Finnish only).
How are the respondents selected
Travel Survey participants are selected randomly from the population information system to represent different age groups and different parts of the region. Helsinki region municipalities include Espoo, Helsinki, Hyvinkää, Järvenpää, Kauniainen, Kerava, Kirkkonummi, Mäntsälä, Nurmijärvi, Pornainen, Sipoo, Tuusula, Vantaa and Vihti. In addition, the survey area includes Siuntio. Responding to the survey is voluntary.
What does the survey ask?
The respondents fill in a travel diary recording the journeys they make during their predetermined survey day. The survey is interested in the journeys made specifically during the survey day, even if the journeys are different to the respondent’s normal daily routine. If the respondent does not make any journeys on the survey day, that is equally valuable information.
In addition, the respondents are asked questions about their travel habits in general as well as a number of background questions. Adults are also asked about their mobility possibilities and under 18s are asked for their opinions on travel.
What is a journey?
In the Travel Survey, a journey means the process of traveling from one place to another outside one’s yard. Below are some examples of the types of journeys you may undertake during the survey day:
1 Journey from home to child’s daycare
2 Journey from child’s daycare to work
3 Journey from work to grocery store
4 Journey from grocery store to home
5 A walk with dog
The journey may include short stops, for example, a stop at a kiosk. However, if the journey is interrupted for a longer period of time, such as for running an errand, it will be considered two separate journeys. For example, if you go home from work and stop by a shop on the way, the journey from work to the shop is one journey and the journey from the shop to home is another journey.
Also walks, jogs and runs count as journeys. In such cases, the departure place and destination are the same place.
A journey can be made using one or more modes of transport. For example, when you go for errands, you can make the first part of your journey by car and then change to train.
Did you receive an invitation to participate in the Travel Survey 2023 by mail?
Did you receive an invitation to participate in the Travel Survey 2023 by mail?
• If you were asked to complete the survey online, please complete the survey at www.liikkumistutkimus.fi
• If you have been selected for a telephone interview, a survey interviewer will call you.
All respondents will be entered into a prize draw for three grocery store gift cards worth EUR 500. Prize draw rules
Feelback Oy assists in the collection of survey data. If you need help in completing the survey, please call +358 44 722 3526, or send email to vastaajatuki@feelback.com.
Thank you for participating! The results of the Travel Survey 2023 will be published on HSL’s website during 2024.
Read more in Finnish about the background and data protection of Travel Survey 2023: