The Nashville Metropolitan Planning Organization is currently conducting the Middle Tennessee Transportation and Health Study. This regional household travel survey is the first household travel survey in over ten years to include a health component. The primary goal of the study is to collect data to update the regional Travel Demand Model (TDM) as the region prepares for a shift to an Activity Based Model (ABM). An additional study goal is the collection of baseline data that will allow the MPO to quantify the effect of including health and safety criteria in the evaluation and ranking of future transportation projects (required in the 2035 Nashville Area Regional Transportation Plan) has on the overall health of Nashvillians.

In this study, 6,000 households in the region are completing a one day travel diary during the spring and fall of 2012. Ten percent of the 6,000 households are participating in the Health and Physical Activity (HPA) study. In addition to completing a travel diary, all adult HPA household members are asked to wear a GPS device for four days while one household member also wears an activity monitor to measure physical activity intensity. This participant also completes a health questionnaire about themselves and other household members. An address-based sample frame is used and matched for telephone numbers. Recruit and retrieval interviews are being conducted by telephone and/or web with nearly 50% of the retrieval goal completed to date.

This paper reports on the design, methodology and results of this complex and innovative study. Discussion includes:

• sampling and mail out strategy

• a brief discussion on the collection of data suitable for an Activity Based Model

• the outcomes of the dual recruitment and retrieval methodology (telephone and web)

• an overview of the HPA sample, including the challenges and benefits of adding this component to a large regional travel survey

• data collection results from the main study

The survey is conducted by Westat with GeoStats LP, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Dr. Daniel Rodriguez as sub consultants.