A Pilot Study on County-Level Disaggregation of National Household Travel Survey Origin-Destination Data

Abstract

The Next-Generation National Household Travel Survey (NextGen NHTS) provides valuable origin-destination (OD) data for transportation analysis, but its coarse spatial resolution limits its effectiveness for detailed regional studies. In New York State, the dataset is divided into only 15 zones, restricting its ability to capture local travel patterns. To enhance spatial granularity, this pilot study integrates Location-Based Services (LBS) data with NextGen NHTS OD data to estimate a county-to-county OD trip matrix. A two-step process is employed: first, raw LBS data is processed into an initial OD seed table by identifying stay points, mapping trips to counties, and aggregating movements; second, the Iterative Proportional Fitting algorithm is applied to adjust the seed table, aligning it with control totals from the NextGen NHTS OD data while preserving trip distribution patterns. The resulting OD matrix provides improved spatial resolution and remains consistent with observed travel and population patterns. Findings indicate that counties with higher populations and closer proximity exhibit greater trip volumes, reflecting reasonable trip patterns.