Measuring how people get around northeastern Illinois

My Daily Travel logo, including graphic icons of a pedestrian, wheelchair user, cyclist, car, bus, and train.

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) periodically surveys households throughout northeastern Illinois to better understand how, when, where, and why people travel. The survey, known as My Daily Travel, collects information about trips made for work, school, shopping, errands, and socializing with family and friends.

My Daily Travel survey is underway

A new phase of the My Daily Travel household survey is now underway in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties.  

As travel behaviors and transportation options continue to evolve, the survey will provide current information about how people move around northeastern Illinois. Transportation planners will use the results to guide future investments and prioritize improvements that support a more efficient and resilient transportation system. 

Household are selected at random and will receive an invitation by U.S. mail with instructions for participating. Only invited households are eligible to complete the survey. 

If your household received an invitation, visit MyDailyTravelSurvey.com to learn more. 

Because only a limited number of households are invited, every completed survey helps ensure that households and travel experiences like yours are represented in future transportation decisions.  

Questions about the survey may be directed to cheither@cmap.illinois.gov. You can also sign up for CMAP’s newsletters to receive updates about the survey and other regional planning work.  

Sample images of survey invitation materials, including letter and postcard.

Pictured: Sample survey invitation letter and postcard invited households will receive.
 

Phase One dataset and findings

CMAP published the Phase One dataset from the My Daily Travel household survey, conducted between September 2024 and June 2025.  

The Phase One release includes a public-use dataset and supporting technical materials that provide detailed, regionally representative information about daily travel patterns, mode choice, telework, transit use, e-commerce activity, and barriers to travel.  

The data will support CMAP’s travel demand modeling, policy analysis, and long-range transportation planning, including development of the next Regional Transportation Plan.   

2019 survey results and analysis

CMAP created a four-part policy brief series on the 2019 My Daily Travel survey exploring how the data can help northeastern Illinois better understand everyday travel patterns. The series dives into the characteristics of regional travel, examines disparities in travel behavior, and highlights new and emerging forms of mobility.

How people travel in northeastern Illinois is changing

The first part of the My Daily Travel series provides insight into the questions of when, where, why, and how much people in the region are traveling. It explores the different ways residents move around the region for work, school, and essential trips like health care appointments. Read the full analysis: A pre-pandemic snapshot of travel in northeastern Illinois.

Travel patterns in the region change by demographics

The second part of the series investigates disparities in regional travel. It looks at how residents experience the transportation system differently based on age, household income, disability status, and race and ethnicity. Read the full analysis: The experience of moving around the region varies based on who is traveling.

Telecommuting effects travel in the region

The third part of the series examines telecommuting behavior and what survey data says about the future of remote work in northeastern Illinois. It also explores the effect remote work has on peak travel times and trips. Read the full analysis: Pre-COVID telecommuting patterns reveal possible future impacts of remote work.

Ride-hailing and bike-share services were changing regional mobility before the pandemic

Even before the onset of COVID-19, new and emerging forms of mobility were gaining popularity in northeastern Illinois. In the fourth part of the series, CMAP looks at the potential effects these services may have on regional mobility. It examines the rapid growth of ride-hailing services and transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft, as well as the emergence of Divvy and other bike-sharing systems. Read the full analysis: Changes in mobility were underway even before COVID-19.

Previous surveys