What does this measure?

The type of transportation used on a daily basis by workers over the age of 16 who commute to work, expressed as a percentage of all workers who do not work at home.

Why is this important?

Patterns of transportation use impact environmental and transportation planning. These patterns may also reflect issues of poverty, location of employment, or environmental habits of residents.

How are Cayuga and Seneca counties performing?

In 2006–10, 82% of Cayuga workers drove alone to work and 85% of Seneca workers did, similar to state (excluding NYC) and national rates of 79% and to the rates in comparison counties. These rates have changed little since 2000. Ten percent in Cayuga and 9% in Seneca carpooled, and the remainder used some other means of transportation (biking, walking, etc.).

Notes about the data

The 2006–10 figures are from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%–50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%–35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census.