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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase trips to work made by mass transit — EH‑02 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  American Community Survey (ACS), Census

Baseline: 5.0 percent of trips to work were made via mass transit in 2017

Target: 5.3 percent

Numerator
Number of trips to work taken by mass transit.
Denominator
Number of trips to work.
Target-setting method
Projection
Target-setting method details
Linear trend fitted using ordinary least squares and a projection at the 50 percent prediction interval.
1
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective. Using historical data points, a trend line was fitted using ordinary least squares, and the trend was projected into the next decade. This method was used because three or more comparable data points were available, the projected value was within the range of possible values, and a projection at the 50 percent prediction interval was selected because available evidence indicated that the trend will move upward, albeit at an average pace due to various external factors, both promoting and impeding growth.

Methodology

Questions used to obtain the national baseline data

(For additional information, please visit the data source page linked above.)

From the 2008 American Community Survey:

Numerator:
How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK? [If this person usually used more than one method of transportation during the trip, mark (X) the box of the one used for most of the distance.]
  1. Car, truck, or van
  2. Bus or trolley bus *
  3. Streetcar or trolley car *
  4. Subway or elevated *
  5. Railroad *
  6. Ferryboat *
  7. Taxicab
  8. Motorcycle
  9. Bicycle
  10. Walked
  11. Worked at home
  12. Other method

* Responses used for the Numerator estimate.

Methodology notes

Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (see American Community Survey Handbooks for Data Users for more information on the issues). Workers include members of the Armed Forces and civilians who were at work last week.

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/guidance.html

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Retained, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 with no change in measurement.

1. Because Healthy People 2030 objectives have a desired direction (e.g., increase or decrease), the confidence level of a one-sided prediction interval can be used as an indication of how likely a target will be to achieve based on the historical data and fitted trend.